Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad’s complaint to the State Government!
Permission to use government machinery to remove encroachments on buildings registered with the ‘Waqf Board’ has been granted by the Congress government. For this, in the year 2008, an amendment was made to the Maharashtra Government Premises (Eviction) Act, 1956. Even though both temples and Waqf are religious places, government machinery is provided to remove encroachments on Waqf Board land; but for temples, the trustees have to approach the court. In this way, there are separate laws for temples and Waqf Board. This is against the Constitution. The benefit that is given to the Waqf Board should also be given to temples; otherwise, the special benefits given to the Waqf Board should also be stopped just like for temples, such a letter has been written by Adv. Virendra Ichalkaranjikar, National President of Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad, to the Maharashtra Government demanding action on this matter.
In this letter, the following questions have been raised by the Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad…
1. If anyone is staying unauthorizedly in a government building or space, then to evict them and to recover rent or related expenses, the government passed the Maharashtra Government Premises (Eviction) Act in 1956. This Act has been amended from time to time.
2. A significant amendment made during Congress rule was in 2008, where rules applicable to government land were also applied to Waqf land. This means, if there is encroachment on Waqf land, the Waqf does not need to go to court; the government machinery is expected to act directly. In contrast, temples must approach civil courts.
3. Likewise, if the Waqf wants to use its property for any other purpose, it does not need to go to civil court. It must file a complaint with the government, and the government machinery will act on it and vacate the said land/building and hand it over to Waqf. If any rent is pending with the Waqf, it will also be recovered like land revenue, as per the provision in this Act.
4. The same facility given to Waqf land like government land has not been given to temples. If someone encroaches on the land of temples registered with the Charity Commissioner, then trustees have to approach the court, not the government, to recover their land. Why such different rules for Waqf and temples? Why don’t temples get the same benefits as Waqf? Either Section 2 of this Act should include temple lands and buildings just like Waqf, or Waqf should be excluded from it, such a demand has been made by the Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad.
