‘WAQF LAW SHOULD NOT BE APPLIED TO NON-MUSLIMS’

If the verdict of Gyanvapi dispute comes in favour of Hindus then the credit will go to Vishnu Shankar Jain and Hari Shankar Jain, who are advocating this matter in the court. Hari Shankar Jain started advocacy in 1976. Vishnu Jain is the son of senior Supreme Court advocate Harishankar Jain, who represented the Hindu Mahasabha in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case. He is a litigator or attorney in at least 12 cases involving Hindu/Jain deities. Along with Gyanvapi, there are 110 such disputed cases in which Harishankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain are fighting on behalf of Hindus. This includes Mathura’s Krishna JanmabhoomiShahi Idgah case, the Qutub Minar complex dispute, the claim of Taj Mahal as a Shiva temple, among several others. Now debate is also on controversial Waqf Laws as Muslims are misusing their power and encroaching temples and lands belonging to Hindus. Mahendra Kumar of Organiser interviewed Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain on Gyanvapi mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple civil dispute, and how the Waqf Law is making lives miserable of innocent Hindus and other non-Muslims.

- Mahendra Kumar

You are one of the first persons to highlight anomalies in the Waqf law with reference to the Gyanvapi issue. What problem do you see with this law?

I have raised this issue many times. Section 4, 5, 6 of the Waqf is unconstitutional. The cost of the survey conducted in Section 8 is borne by the State Government which is legally wrong. Section 40 [3] is the biggest unlawful law of Waqf. Through this Waqf can take possession of any land and can declare it as its property. Waqf can give orders to the State Government under Section 54, 55. This is also unconstitutional. Section 107, 83, 85 is also unconditional. I have spoken all this many times on diverse media platforms.

We have seen a lot of land grabbing in prime locations in a bid to expand Waqf properties. In Delhi, this illegal activity is occuring at an alarming pace?