Waqf (Amendment) Bill a direct attack on Muslims: Owaisi

Expressing strong opposition to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday alleged that the Bill was a direct attack on Muslims and would take away their properties. Addressing a gathering here, he questioned how can Waqf Board members be non-Muslims while temple board members can only be Hindus and gurdwara boards can only be Sikhs. Wearing a black band on the call of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to protest against the Bill, Owaisi said, “(Prime Minister) Narendra Modi is shooting bullets at our chest through the Waqf Bill – targeting our mosques and dargahs.” He alleged that as per the provisions of the Bill, the District Magistrate can certify that a particular property is not a Waqf property, thereby ending the claim of Muslims over it.