Ahmedabad, Sufi Islamic Board national president Mansoor Khan on Monday said the SIB will move the Supreme Court in favour of the Waqf Act and accused leaders of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and All India Muslim Personal Law Board of misguiding Muslims over its provisions.
Addressing a press conference, Khan stated that Sufi Muslims firmly support the amended law passed by Parliament, arguing that previous provisions were misused by certain organisations and individuals to usurp Waqf land for selfish motives, neglecting the welfare of ordinary Muslims.
He alleged that some individuals formerly associated with radical outfits such as the Students Islamic Movement of India and the Popular Front of India have now become spokespersons for the AIMPLB.
“Those accused of grabbing Waqf properties are now inciting Muslims to protest against the Waqf Amendment Act. Leaders of AIMPLB and JUH are misleading Muslims. Whenever their interests are threatened, they mobilise the masses by falsely claiming that Shariat is in danger,” Khan alleged.
Accompanied by Khalid Hussain Naqvi, national president of the Bharatiya Sufi Sant Sangathan, Khan urged Muslim youth not to be misled by those opposing the Waqf Act amendments.
Without naming individuals, Khan reiterated that those accused of misappropriating Waqf properties are behind the protests against the amendment.
He said the Sufi Islamic Board will soon file an affidavit in the Supreme Court supporting the Waqf Amendment Act passed by Parliament.
Notably, organisations like the AIMPLB have challenged the constitutional validity of the new Act.
Khan also demanded legal action against individuals and organisations who misused Waqf properties and embezzled funds. He called for investigations into whether such funds were used for anti-national activities.
“I welcome this Act because the previous law was misused for 70 years. Despite the Waqf’s vast landholdings of over 9 lakh acres, poor Muslims have never truly benefited. We also demand that the benefits of Waqf properties—such as schools or hospitals built on Waqf land—should be accessible to every citizen, regardless of faith, because everyone is equal before Allah,” said Khan.
Khalid Hussain Naqvi, the religious head of the Mira Datar shrine near Unjha in Gujarat’s Patan district, claimed that Sufi Muslims are among the biggest victims of Waqf land encroachments by what he termed “Waqf mafias.”
“Properties donated to the Mira Datar shrine were systematically taken over by these mafias. The previous Waqf Act provided no legal recourse, resulting in a backlog of unresolved cases,” said Naqvi.
He described the amended Act as a “ray of hope” for Sufi Muslims seeking the return of their properties.
“Those protesting on the streets against the Waqf Act are only putting on a show. These are the same people who took Sufi properties. The new provisions offer hope for reclaiming our assets, which is why the entire Sufi community supports this law,” Naqvi added.
Naqvi also accused JUH and AIMPLB of misleading ordinary Muslims regarding the amendments. He alleged that “Waqf mafias” control properties worth thousands of crores, but the income from these assets is rarely used to uplift the Muslim community.
“The Mira Datar shrine once had 900 acres of land donated by former rulers and nawabs. Today, we don’t even have nine feet left because of the Waqf mafia. We are trying to raise awareness among Muslims that this Act aims to protect Waqf properties—not to take them away,” Naqvi added.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.