Chhattisgarh Waqf Board to ‘vet’ all sermons given during Friday prayers

The waqf committee is simply a assemblage that manages, protects, and regulates waqf properties successful India. According to sources, the determination came aft the committee was informed that the committee had reports of “anti-government” speeches successful immoderate mosques successful the BJP-ruled authorities

Confirming the development, Salim Raj told The Indian Express that a spiritual spot “shouldn’t beryllium turned into a governmental adda (place)”.

“It’s unfortunate that the spot is utilized to contented fatwas (rulings) and determine who to ballot and whom not to vote… They indispensable speech astir Islam, what it says and the connection of Allah. Politics indispensable beryllium near for politicians,” helium said.

Raj, who besides heads the BJP’s number compartment successful Chhattisgarh, said that the committee volition contented letters with the caller directives to the 3,800-odd mosques successful the state. “The bid volition beryllium effectual this Friday,” helium said.
The directive has drawn disapproval from Opposition parties specified arsenic the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and the Congress. In his station connected X Saturday, the AIMIM main Asaduddin Owaisi called the determination unconstitutional.

“The waqf committee of the BJP authorities of Chhattisgarh wants that earlier giving the Jummah (Friday) sermon, the khatib (a idiosyncratic who delivers a sermon during Friday prayers oregon Eid prayers) should get his sermon checked by the waqf committee and should not springiness the sermon without the support of the board,” the Hyderabad MP said. Now BJP radical volition archer america what is religion? Do I person to instrumentality support from them to travel my religion? The Waqf Board has nary specified ineligible power, and adjacent if it had, it would person been against Article 25 of the Constitution.”

The Congress, meanwhile, called it an onslaught connected escaped code and the state to practise one’s religion.

“The waqf committee has the authorization to measure its properties but does not person the powerfulness to springiness instructions connected what a Maulana oregon Mutawalli tin accidental successful their speeches wrong mosques. This is unconstitutional and the Congress enactment condemns this,” Congress spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla told The Indian Express.

But the BJP claimed it wanted to halt mosques “from being misused for governmental ends”.

“We person seen (it) successful Kashmir, wherever they kept issuing fatwas and it led to Kashmiri Pandits facing unit and fleeing the place. Here too, if immoderate arguable comments are made against the federation oregon authorities oregon anti-national elements effort to enactment successful specified things, the authorities volition enactment connected them. An oculus is being kept connected each mosques truthful they are not misused,” Tauqir Raza, BJP spokesperson for Chhattisgarh, said.