All political parties of J&K, except the BJP, opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, saying that the Bill is intended to disempower Muslims and only target one religion.
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the Bill is not acceptable to his party.
“Only one religion is being targeted. Every religion has its institutions, and every religion has a charitable wing. For Muslims, it is the Waqf,” said the Chief Minister.
Omar Abdullah said that targeting the Waqf is very unfortunate, adding that it is up to Parliament now to stop amendments in the Bill.
“NC cannot support this Bill. Our MPs will strongly oppose it,” said the Chief Minister.
Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also opposed the bill, saying that she has no hope from the BJP given the treatment meted out to Muslims in the country.
“I don’t have any hope from the BJP. We have seen how Muslims are being lynched and mosques demolished in the last 11 years,” she said.
The former Chief Minister added that the Bill is intended to disempower Muslims, adding that she hoped that the Hindu brethren would step forward to stop it.
“India is a nation of Gandhi, and it should be run as per the Constitution. The secular forces should intervene to prevent the country from becoming another Myanmar. If people decide to remain as mute spectators, then nobody can stop the chaos in the country,” said the former Chief Minister.
People’s Conference chairman, Sajad Gani Lone, also opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, calling it blatant interference in the religious affairs of Muslims.
“The proposed amendment by Parliament is a blatant interference in our faith aimed at divesting the rightful custodians of their authority. This is yet another rightwing trespassing,” the People’s Conference chairman wrote on X.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Darakhshan Andrabi welcomed the amendments, saying they would be beneficial for the poor from the community.
“How does Waqf have so many properties, but still, Muslim brothers are poor? Waqf has thousands of kanals of land, but despite that, a majority of Muslims are homeless and landless. The Prime Minister is thinking about these issues so that the Muslim community does not remain poor and gets all facilities,” she said.
Darakhshan Andrabi heads the J&K Waqf Board.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday by Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju.
As per the government, the Bill is aimed at improving the functioning and ensuring transparency and technology-driven management of Waqf properties in the country.
Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha have called the Bill “unconstitutional” and against the “interest” of the Muslim community.
 Bill){kind=link}
Two drowned in Pune bridge collapse, PM Modi speaks to CM Fadnavis
At least two people were killed, 32 others injured, while a total of 41 people were rescued after they fell into an overflowing river when an old bridge they were crossing collapsed in Maharashtra's Pune district on Sunday.
Haifa port in Israel operating normally despite Iran attack
There has been no damage to Israel’s Haifa port in the Iranian ballistic missile attack on an oil refinery nearby and cargo operations are progressing unhindered, according to media reports.
No recommendation, no discrimination: HM Amit Shah hails UP’s inclusive recruitment drive
In a historic ceremony, Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath distributed appointment letters to 60,244 newly selected police personnel at the Defence Expo Ground in Sector 18, Vrindavan. Out of these 60,000 recruits, more than 12,000 comprised women.
Round-the-clock DNA profiling underway: FSL Gandhinagar Director explains complex process
The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, has been operating around the clock to identify victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash through DNA profiling and matching.
Civil Aviation Ministry issues strict instructions to DGCA to enforce chopper safety
In the wake of a tragic helicopter crash in the Gaurikund area of Uttarakhand, the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Sunday issued strict instructions to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to enforce all safety protocols related to chopper operations in hilly and sensitive areas like the Kedarnath valley.
‘Harming Indians will invite punishment’, HM Shah on Op Sindoor
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that through the anti-terror Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent a strong message across the world that the bloodshed of Indians will invite punishment.
Dassault CEO trashes Pakistan's claims on downing Rafale jets
Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier has dismissed as "factually incorrect" Pakistan’s claims about having shot down three Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor.
Tripura BJP stages protest over vandalism at Tagore's ancestral home in B'desh
Ruling BJP in Tripura on Saturday staged state-wide protests along the Bangladesh border, protesting the recent attack and vandalism of the ancestral home of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in the neighbouring country.