Bareilly, March 17: National President of All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, on Monday accused the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) of deviating from its core purpose and being “hijacked” by politicians.

His remarks come as AIMPLB staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, alleging that the government is conspiring to seize Waqf properties.

The protest saw participation from eleven opposition parties, including the Congress. However, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi slammed AIMPLB for prioritising political alliances over addressing the real concerns of the Muslim community.

“AIMPLB is holding a dharna at Jantar Mantar. Everyone has the right to protest, but I want to highlight an important point. When the Muslim Personal Law Board was formed, its purpose was to address social matters and combat societal evils within the Muslim community. Unfortunately, it has now strayed from that mission,” he said.

He pointed out that earlier, political figures were not part of the board, but today, it is dominated by members from various political parties.

“The board now includes people affiliated with different political groups, whether in Parliament or other positions. Leaders from the Samajwadi Party, Congress, and even AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi hold influential positions within the Muslim Personal Law Board,” he stated.

According to Razvi, the board has shifted away from addressing Sharia-related and social issues, instead aligning itself with political agendas.

“It is clear that the Muslim Personal Law Board has been hijacked by politicians and political parties. This hijacking will prove to be disastrous for the real issues concerning Muslims,” he warned.

His remarks come against the backdrop of the ongoing controversy surrounding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) tabled its report on the bill in Parliament on February 13, facing opposition from various political groups.

The Waqf Act of 1995, which was originally enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to address these challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.

New Delhi, March 17: A Roza Iftar programme was organised by the Delhi BJP Minority Morcha at the India Islamic Cultural Centre in the national capital where several distinguished guests and party leaders were present, the party said in a statement

On this occasion, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju, BJP’s National President of Minority Morcha Jamal Siddiqui, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Delhi Minister Ashish Sood, Uttar Pradesh Minister Danish Azad, International Kho-Kho player Nasreen Sheikh, Delhi BJP General Secretary Vishnu Mittal, former Union Ministers Shahnawaz Hussain and Harsh Vardhan, former BJP Vice-President of National Minority Commission Atif Rashid, Incharge of BJP’s Delhi Minority Morcha, Qari Mohammad Haroon were present and broke the fast with the people from the Muslim community and wished them ‘Ramazan Mubarak’ greetings.

In the holy month of Ramzan, Roza Iftar has a special significance for the Muslim community.

During this holy month, Roza Iftar programmes are organised at various places in which people from all sections are invited and Roza Iftar is done jointly.

Delhi BJP Minority Morcha officials including Irfan Salmani, Nasir Raza, Imtiaz Ahmed, Zulfiqar, Aas Mohammad Malik, Iqrar Qureshi, Mustafa Siddiqui and many other BJP workers were present at this event.

Delhi BJP Minority Morcha President, Anees Abbasi said that the holy month of Ramzan is a month of worship in which people of Muslim community observe fasts and pray for mutual brotherhood and prosperity of the country.

He said: “With this feeling in mind, the Delhi BJP have organised this Roza Iftar program on Sunday so that all of us together can pray for a developed Delhi and contribute in realising the dream of the Prime Minister.”

The BJP Minority Morcha on Sunday launched the ‘Saughat-e-Modi’ campaign, aiming to reach out to 32 lakh needy people during Eid.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the campaign will provide essential items to those in need through ‘Saughat-e-Modi’ kits.

Jamal Siddiqui, National President of BJP Minority Morcha, announced the campaign during a virtual meeting attended by national office bearers, state in-charges, state presidents, and district presidents.

Srinagar, March 17: An encounter broke out between security forces and hiding terrorists in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Monday.

Officials said that following intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the Krumbhoora (Zachaldara) village in Rajwar area of the district, security forces started a CASO (Cordon and Search Operation).

“As the security forces closed on the hiding terrorists, they fired at the surrounding security forces triggering an encounter which is presently going on. Two to three terrorists are reportedly holed up inside the cordoned off area. All the exit points of the terrorists are being plugged,” the officials said.

A joint team of the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Special Operations Group (SOG) has launched a coordinated operation to eliminate the threat.

Authorities have sealed off the area, and additional reinforcements have been deployed to ensure a successful operation. Civilians in the area have been advised to stay indoors and avoid movement near the encounter site for their safety.

The situation remains active and under close monitoring, said the officials.

Further updates will follow as the operation progresses. Security agencies are likely to issue press statements as more details emerge.

Terrorists under the orders of their handlers sitting across the border in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have stepped up their activities.

Intelligence agencies believe that the peaceful, people-participative Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections in 2024 have frustrated terror handlers in Pakistan.

Recently, terrorists killed three innocent civilians in the Kathua district, including a 14-year-old boy.

The bodies of two civilians out of three who went missing from the Qazigund area of the Kulgam district on February 14 have been recovered.

These civilians belonging to the Rajouri district of the Jammu division were working as labourers to earn their livelihood in the Valley.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has chaired three security review meetings on J&K since the beginning of 2025.

He has given clear orders to the security forces to ensure zero infiltration and zero tolerance for terrorists and their sympathisers in the union territory.

Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha has also chaired two back-to-back security review meetings, one in Srinagar and the other in Jammu. The L-G has directed police and the security forces to dismantle the entire ecosystem of terror sustained by terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers.

The L-G has said that funds generated from drug smuggling, drug trafficking and hawala rackets are ultimately used to sustain terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, and the war against terror cannot be fought in isolation unless its breathing channels dry up.