Mon Mar 31 23:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Catholic Bishops Urge Fair Approach to Waqf Amendment Bill
**NEW DELHI, April 1, 2025** – The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has called on political parties and lawmakers to approach the upcoming Waqf Amendment Bill with impartiality and a constructive spirit. In a statement released Monday, the CBCI expressed concern over inconsistencies between certain provisions of the current Central Waqf Act and the Indian Constitution’s secular democratic values.
The CBCI cited the ongoing dispute in Kerala’s Munambam region, where the Waqf Board has used these provisions to claim ancestral properties belonging to over 600 families as Waqf land. This has resulted in a protracted legal battle, highlighting the need for a legislative solution, the statement noted.
The bishops emphasized the importance of restoring rightful land ownership to the affected families while simultaneously protecting the constitutional rights of religious minorities. They urged that any amendments to the Waqf Act address these dual concerns.
First Piper 