Catholic bishops organisation backs Waqf Amendment Bill, seeks unbiased approach from political parties

New Delhi: An organisation of Catholic Bishops on Monday came out in support of the amendments to the Central Waqf Act, contending that some of its provisions were inconsistent with the Constitution and secular democratic values of the country.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) also urged political parties to adopt an unbiased and constructive approach to the issue.

The remarks from the leading body of Christian clerics come at a time when the government is pushing to bring the Waqf (Amendment) Bill for consideration of Parliament in the ongoing Budget Session.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready to bring the Waqf (Amendment) Bill before Parliament and accused some organisations of "misleading Muslims".

The CBCI said that the Waqf Board in Kerala had invoked the provisions of the existing Waqf law to declare the ancestral residential properties of more than 600 families in the Munambam region as Waqf land.

"Over the past three years, this issue has escalated into a complex legal dispute. The fact remains that only a legal amendment can provide a permanent solution, and this must be recognised by the people's representatives," the CBCI said.

"As the Waqf Amendment Bill is set to be introduced in Parliament, CBCI urges political parties and legislators to adopt an unbiased and constructive approach to this issue," it said.

The CBCI said that the rightful ownership of land must be fully restored to the people of Munambam.

"Any provisions or laws that contradict the principles of the Indian Constitution must be amended. At the same time, the rights of religious minorities, as guaranteed by the Constitution, must be safeguarded," the CBCI said.

The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council has also asked the state's MPs to support the Waqf Amendment Bill and vote in favour of amending the "unconstitutional and unjust provisions" in the existing Waqf Act.

Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Kiren Rijiju welcomed the statement of the Kerala Catholics Bishop Council.

"It is the duty of those in politics to care for and address problems and challenges faced by our people. This Bill is not against any community -- that is a propaganda spread to poison the minds of some," Rijiju said.

"A welcome step by the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC). Their call is for amending the sections which are unfair and anti-constitutional in the existing Waqf Act," Sitharaman said.