New Delhi [India], April 4 (ANI): Hailing the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 in both Houses of Parliament, Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) on Friday appealed to the Muslim community to 'celebrate this historic moment with joy and pride' as it is not against any religion or sect but is a 'symbol of transparency, justice, and development.'

The Manch said that although India gained independence from the British in 1947, 'the Waqf has only now been freed from mafias and land jihadists,' a release from the organisation said.

The bill passed in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha now awaits President Droupadi Murmu's assent to become an act.

The Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) has called this bill a historic step and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal, and the efforts of thousands of MRM workers.

Shahid Sayeed, MRM's National Convener and National Media In-charge, has appealed to the Muslim community to celebrate this historic moment with joy and pride. He emphasised that this bill is not against any religion or sect but is a symbol of transparency, justice, and development. It grants rightful entitlements to orphans, widows, the poor, and the needy, he said.

The Manch has urged all citizens to be cautious of parties and organisations that spread divisive, provocative and misleading agendas. This day and the Prime Minister's name deserve to be written in golden letters.

The Manch also stated that this law liberates the Muslim community from the political slavery of so-called Muslim-friendly parties like Congress, the Samajwadi Party, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal. It stressed that now is the time for Muslims to break free from fear, confusion, and extremism, and to move forward with development, as per a release.

The organisation reported that in support of the bill, thousands of its workers held over 5,000 public meetings, dialogues, seminars, article campaigns, and TV debates across the country. These efforts raised awareness in society and exposed the truth about corruption, misuse, and political exploitation of Waqf properties.

'Through hundreds of special programmes, ongoing scams and loot within Waqf properties were highlighted. Countering rumours and false narratives, people were informed that this law does not harm anyone's faith but rather paves the way for social reform,' the release said

MRM officials Mohammad Afzal, Girish Juyal, Syed Raza Hussain Rizvi, Abu Bakar Naqvi, Virag Pachpor, Islam Abbas, Irfan Ali Peerzada, Mazahir Khan, Hafiz Sabreen, Imran Chaudhary, Bilal ur Rahman, Faiz Khan, S.K. Muddin, Altamash Bihari, Tusharkant, Thakur Raja Rais, Majid Talikoti, Tahir Hussain, Kallu Ansari, Habib Mohammad Chaudhary, Shafqat Qadri, Hasan Noori, and many others have appealed to citizens to stay alert against those leaders and parties who mislead the Muslim community by spreading fear.

In a release the Manch stated, 'This is the time for change, brotherhood, and to educate and empower the society. This law will lay the foundation for 'Development through Waqf' and give Indian Muslims an opportunity to live with self-respect.' (ANI)