Guwahati, 5th August: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has expressed optimism about the Waqf Amendment Bill, calling it a crucial move towards justice for Muslim women. Sarma, who has not yet seen the draft of the bill, stated that he learned of the impending amendment through media reports and believes it will address longstanding issues concerning Muslim women’s rights.
Speaking to the media, Sarma emphasized, “As of now, I have not seen the draft or amendment bill, but I know from media reports that the Waqf bill will be amended. If this is true, it will address a long-standing requirement and provide justice to Muslim women. This reform will also ensure that Waqf property is allocated to the rightful beneficiaries.”
On August 4, Sarma also announced a new policy regarding inter-religion land transfers during the State Executive meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati. He explained that while previously, land transactions between Hindus and Muslims occurred freely, the Assam government has now mandated that such transactions require the Chief Minister’s approval.
“We cannot prevent land transactions between Hindus and Muslims,” Sarma said. “However, moving forward, any land purchase or sale between individuals of different religions will require the Chief Minister’s approval.”
This policy change aims to regulate and monitor inter-religion land transfers, reflecting the government’s new approach to managing such transactions.
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