Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, the head of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC), has called for a ban on several prominent far-right Hindu outfits including the Rashtriya Swaymsevak Sangh (RSS), Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal. He criticised these groups for promoting communal tensions.
Speaking at a meeting in Uttar Pradesh opposing the Waqf Board Amendment Bill 2024 held on Wednesday, September 4, Raza Khan labelled these outfits as “terrorist organisations”. He claimed that all three organizations pose a threat to peace and communal harmony in India.
“RSS is a terrorist organisation and should be banned if the government wants peace in the country. I say from the open stage that Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal are also terrorist organisations and should be banned,” he said.
The meeting was called by All India Mohammadi Mission president Babar Ashraf to launch a movement called ‘Waqf Virasat Bachao Tehreek’ for the protection of the waqf properties in the country.
The meeting was attended by several Shia and Sunni religious leaders. Raza Khan appealed to the people to come out on the streets in large numbers to protest against the Waqf amendment.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was introduced in the Lok Sabha in August by the BJP government and has sparked considerable controversy among Muslim organisations and the opposition.
The Bill, which seeks to streamline the registration process of Waqf properties via a central portal, was presented in the Parliament on Thursday. It also proposes renaming the Waqf Act of 1995 as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act.
What is Waqf?
Waqf refers to property dedicated exclusively to religious or charitable purposes under Islamic law. Once declared Waqf, the property cannot be revoked. The Bill’s amendments aim to address this issue.
There are approximately 30 Waqf boards in India, managing properties that cover over 9 lakh acres, with an estimated value of Rs 1.2 lakh crore, making them the third-largest landowners in the country after the railways and the defence ministry.
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