Maulana Mahmood Madani wants Waqf boards to become elected bodies like SGPC, says Rajat Sharma in Aap Ki Adalat

Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind president Maulana Mahmood Madani has said that all state Waqf Boards and Central Waqf Council should be elected bodies like the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee. His remarks come in the wake of the Waqf Amendment Bill that is before a Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Responding to questions from Rajat Sharma on the iconic television show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ aired on India TV, Maulana Madani said: “We want Muslims in India to form their Waqf Board on the lines of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. At present, the government nominates people of its own choosing for the Waqf Boards. By bringing the Waqf Amendment Bill, the government, instead of improving the functioning of the Waqf Boards, is trying to make it worse.”

Responding to the claim by Minister for Minorities Affairs Kiren Rijiju that the Centre had drafted the Waqf Amendment Bill after studying the Sachchar Commission and earlier JPC reports, and after consulting hundreds of thousands of people, Maulana Madani said: “That is his claim. Our position is that there has been no consultation. There is a process for consultation and it is an open process. We believe that there should be consultations and the Waqf Board should be formed like the SGPC. We are already giving our views to the Joint Parliamentary Committee and if necessary, we will also go to the streets, in a democratic way.”

On the UP Sunni Waqf Board’s claim that the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra is a waqf property, the Maulana said: “If the land on which the Taj Mahal is built is waqf land, then it belongs to the Waqf Board, but it is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India. There are many such waqf properties which are owned by both parties. Let us think with an open mind. This land is not going to China or Nepal, to a country which I do not want to name. We Muslims are being portrayed as if we are from another world. At the time of partition, Muslims in India were given options, and we chose India. For Indian Muslims, there is no better place to live than India.”

HALAL CERTIFICATION

Maulana Mahmood Madani, who is also the head of the Jamiat Ulama Hind Halal Trust, also spoke about the controversy surrounding Halal-certified products.

He said: “If we are asked to stop halal certification, we will stop today, right now. We are ready. ‘Aaj, abhi band kar dengey’. We are not making much money from this and are being insulted (beizzati). We are becoming the butt of jokes (mazaak udaya ja raha hai).”

The Maulana explained: “It was the Ministry of Food Processing, various government departments, ISO and more than 50 importing countries who wanted Halal certification of products, and we were approached and a Halal certification system was developed with their advice. We did not put any Halal conditions, the conditions were put by the importing countries. You want to export food products and yet you object. This does not go together. You stop Halal certification. I have no problem. It was not us who formed this organization. It was formed after a lot of ‘khushaamad’ (requests). Importing countries complained that products from India were not Halal certified. We are just helping our government departments.”

Regarding the Halal certification, he said that the UP STF (Special Task Force) interrogated him for two days and then for another two days. “Others were also summoned but they did not appear for questioning due to exemption granted by the Supreme Court. I also had exemption from the Supreme Court but I chose to answer questions.”

Maulana Madani said: “Even toothpaste and water should be halal certified because we have to check whether gelatin made from animal bones or animal fat is used or whether ‘naa-pak’ (unholy) substances are used in the treatment of water.”

ABOUT MODI

About Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Maulana said: “We may not agree with his policies, but if our Prime Minister gets honour and respect in a foreign country, I consider it an honour for our country. We do not agree with his policies, but if anyone tries to disrespect (beizzati) our Prime Minister, we are ready to sacrifice our lives, we will fight. I praise Narendra Modi in some forums, but criticise him in other forums too.”

On why some leaders on foreign soil are criticising PM Modi by saying that atrocities are being committed against Muslims, Maulana Madani said: “Even I will say this. If our problems are not resolved, then I will definitely cry, here and abroad. I will have to cry. On one hand, the media is trying to create a certain perception, and if no efforts are made to correct this by the government, media and civil society, then I will not consider this as ‘dosti’ (friendship) but as ‘gaddari’ (betrayal) for our country. The situation is bad and we all have to join hands to improve it.”

PRICE OF MUKHTAR ANSARI

Maulana Mahmood Madani had words of effusive praise for the gangster-turned-politician late Mukhtar Ansari. “I said he was ‘garibon ka masihaa’ (prophet of the poor). Please go to the people around him and ask them. They see him as a man who helped the poor. It is not because he was a Muslim. Even 80 percent of the non-Muslims around him see him that way. He was truly a man who helped the poor. Please show me a case where he seized someone’s property by force. I can say this with certainty. His brother is now a member of parliament. When people die, we normally talk positively about them. I never praised him when he was alive.”

Asked if the law and order situation in UP has improved after the action against mafia gangsters by Yogi’s government, the Maulana said, “The government should take strong action to maintain law and order, but there should be a limit to such actions. If the limits are crossed, it cannot be justified. Implementation of rules should be the same for all, not in a wrong way. I have no objection to taking action against mafia, but I object to crossing the limits. You cannot punish a man’s parents for his crimes.”