Catholics warn bishops that backing Waqf Bill risks ‘legitimising state intrusion’

The recent letter written by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India urging political parties to support the Waqf Amendment Bill risks “legitimising state intrusion under the guise of reform”, members of the community said on Tuesday.

In its letter on March 25, the Catholic bishops’ organisation had said that provisions of the Waqf Act before the recent amendment were inconsistent with the Constitution of India and the country’s secular democratic values.

A waqf is a property dedicated to a religious, educational or charitable cause under Islamic law. Each state has a waqf board led by a legal entity that is vested with the power to acquire, hold and transfer property.

The Waqf Amendment Bill, which was cleared by Parliament on Friday and given presidential assent a day later, sought to curb the authority of waqf boards and allow greater government control over them.

Before the bill was passed, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had highlighted the letter written by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, among other Christian organisations, to suggest that the contentious legislation enjoyed widespread support. Rijiju is also the Union minority affairs minister.

In an open letter on Tuesday, members of the Christian community said that the intervention made by the Catholic Bishops Conference had raised several “serious issues that merit careful reconsideration”.

The legislation has...

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