Muslim Leaders Urge Union Government to Withdraw UMEED Bill

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, March 2, 2025: Muslim leaders from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi have called on the Union government to withdraw the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Bill, alleging that it aims to acquire waqf properties and diminish Muslim control over their maintenance.

Addressing the media on Saturday, B.A. Abdul Nasir Luckystar, president of the Dakshina Kannada Waqf Advisory Committee, expressed concerns that the Bill mandates the submission of documents within six months of its enactment for properties to be recognized as waqf. He highlighted that many waqf properties, with histories spanning centuries, were given on oral agreements, making documentation difficult.

Luckystar also criticized the proposed change in the identification of waqf properties, stating that the responsibility, currently assigned to a government-appointed surveyor knowledgeable in Islamic laws, would be transferred to the Deputy Commissioner under the Bill.

Another contentious provision, he noted, is the mandatory inclusion of two non-Muslim members on the waqf board. Additionally, the Bill allows for the appointment of a non-Muslim government official to the waqf tribunal. He questioned why the same principle was not applied to the management committees of temples and gurdwaras, where officials are required to be from the respective religions.

“The Bill is designed to suppress the rights of Muslims,” he alleged, adding that a Joint Parliamentary Committee reviewing the legislation had received nearly 98 lakh petitions opposing the amendments. Despite this, he claimed, the government disregarded the objections and reintroduced the Bill in Parliament.

The press conference was attended by Taqwa Ahmed Musliyar, Qazi of Dakshina Kannada, and Zainul Ulama Mani, Qazi of Udupi district.