Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 7: While stating that it is prepared to take to the streets, if necessary, the Apni Party (JKAP) today said it will approach the Supreme Court to challenge the recently passed Waqf Amendment Bill.
Addressing a press conference here, former minister and JKAP President Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari said that the party has passed a resolution demanding the reversal of the bill, which has now become law following its passage in Parliament.
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“Waqf is an important issue not just for one community, but for democracy as a whole-because in a democracy, we have the right to manage our religious institutions. There was no need for the Government to interfere,” he said.
Bukhari stated that even if there were issues of mismanagement of Waqf properties, that did not justify the Government’s decision to “interfere” and “declare itself a major stakeholder.”
“It is a secular Government, and there was no need for interference. There may have been issues with management, but they could have been addressed differently,” he said.
Regarding the issue, he said that all party members held a day-long meeting during which the matter was discussed threadbare.
The meeting culminated in the passing of a unanimous resolution and the decision to challenge the amendments in the Supreme Court, he said.
The JKAP President noted that after in-depth discussions and the sharing of grassroots-level feedback by party leaders, a resolution was unanimously adopted, urging the Government of India and fellow citizens to support the reversal of the recent amendments.
“Our District President from Shopian, Advocate Gowhar-who also serves as the President of the Bar Association Shopian-has been entrusted with the responsibility of filing and pursuing the case,” he said.
Bukhari said: “We will engage in peaceful resistance through democratic means and move the Supreme Court to ensure the bill is reversed and justice is done.”
“If required, we will take to the streets-because other issues can wait, but not when there is an attack on your religion,” he added.
On ‘X’, Bukhari wrote that, on a personal note, he believes this matter is not merely a Muslim issue, but a matter of constitutional rights and religious freedom. “It should concern every Indian who values justice,” he said.
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