Not ready to give up Shariat, Hijab or Waqf: AIMIM

Hyderabad: Asserting that Muslims will not give up their rights on Waqf, AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi said on Sunday that his party would continue to fight for Waqf.

The All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) legislator and floor leader was addressing a gathering that assembled at Dharna Chowk here as part of a protest called by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

"Those people who think that they want to weaken our morale through this law...neither our morale is down nor is it going to decline. Neither we are ready to give up our Shariat, nor Hijab and we are not ready to give up our Waqf. We will continue to fight for our rights within the ambit of democracy and law,” Akbaruddin Owaisi, younger brother of party president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, said.

He further alleged that the new law was made to destroy Waqf properties and not to protect Waqf, adding "this law has to be taken back".

Meanwhile, communal tension prevailed in the Gaujani area of Ramnagar, Nainital, after BJP workers, along with local Hindu residents, objected to the digging of a grave for a Muslim allegedly outside the designated cemetery, reigniting a decades-old land dispute between Hindu and Muslim communities on Thursday.

The incident triggered a tense standoff in the area, as BJP members claimed the burial site was situated around 200 metres away from the officially approved cemetery boundary, which intensified concerns among nearby Hindu families.

In response to the emerging conflict, the sub-divisional magistrate Pramod Kumar arrived at the site accompanied by a heavy police force, and the administration initiated talks with both communities to ease tensions and ensure the situation did not escalate further. Authorities emphasised that no burial would be allowed without formal permission, and attempts were made to mediate a resolution on the spot.