Mon Nov 04 17:59:17 UTC 2024: ## Pasmanda Muslim Group Demands Right to Submit Input on Waqf Bill, Calls for Constitutional Amendment

**PATNA, November 4, 2024:** The All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz (AIPMM) has demanded to be heard by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, expressing concerns over efforts to discredit suggestions received by the committee. In a letter to the JPC chairman, Jagdambika Pal, the AIPMM, led by former Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar Ansari, has requested the date, time, and venue for submitting its objections and suggestions.

The AIPMM’s concerns stem from a statement by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who alleged that the 1.25 crore suggestions received by the JPC may have been influenced by “Islamic fundamentalists” or foreign agencies like ISI and China. The AIPMM, however, maintains that it has not been invited to participate in the JPC’s deliberations despite receiving no such invitation.

In addition to its input on the Waqf Bill, the AIPMM has also advocated for amending Article 341 of the Constitution. This amendment, they argue, would help address divisions among Dalits based on religion and promote equality and secularism. The AIPMM cites the Sachar Committee report and Justice Rangnath Mishra Commission as evidence for the need for such an amendment.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2014 seeks to overhaul the 1995 Waqf Act by addressing issues of mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments on waqf properties. The proposed amendments include digitization of records, stricter audits, enhanced transparency, and new legal mechanisms to reclaim encroached properties. The JPC has invited various stakeholders, including government officials, legal experts, waqf board members, and community representatives, to provide their input on the Bill.

Read More