"Modi govt wants to take away autonomy of board": Owaisi targets Centre on reports of amendments in Waqf Board Act

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 4 : Reacting to reports that the Centre is planning to amend the Waqf Board Act, AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi said on Sunday that it shows that the Modi government wants to snatch away the autonomy of the board and intends to interfere in it.
Addressing a conference, Owaisi said, "Firstly, when Parliament is in session, the central government is acting against parliamentary supremacy and privileges and informing the media and not informing Parliament. I can say that whatever has been written in the media about this proposed amendment shows that the Modi government wants to take away the autonomy of the Waqf Board and it wants to interfere. This itself is against the freedom of religion."
The Hyderabad MP also alleged that the BJP has been against these boards and Waqf properties from the very beginning and they have been working on a "Hindutva agenda".
"Now if you make amendments to the establishment and composition of the Waqf board, then there will be administrative chaos, loss of autonomy of the Waqf board and if the control of the government increases over the Waqf Board, then the independence of Waqf will be affected. In the media report, it is written that if there is any disputed property, then these people will say that the property is disputed, and we will get it surveyed. The survey will be conducted by the BJP, CMs and you know what will be its result. There are many such dargahs in our India where BJP-RSS claims that they are not dargahs and mosques, so the executive is trying to snatch the power of the judiciary," he added.
Notably, earlier reports suggested that the government was looking to bring amendments to the Waqf Act.
According to the reports, the Centre is likely to bring a total of 40 amendments to the act in the next Parliament sitting.