27 Dec, New Delhi: The Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Muhammad Salim Engineer said that: ”The decision to pass the Enemy Property Bill through an ordinance is undemocratic and infringing fundamental rights of citizens. Legislation via ordinance is adopted only under special circumstances and the government’s anxiety to push the Bill in such a hurried manner raises serious doubts over its real intentions. Moreover the President of India has expressed his reservations over its repeated re-promulgation.”
Salim Engineer said that: ”The Bill was handed over to a select committee after encountering opposition in the Rajya Sabha. Many MPs said that the Bill violates basic principles of natural justice, human rights and settled principles of law. It adversely affects and results in punishing Indian citizens and will have no effect on any enemy government. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind feels that this Bill is meant to harass minorities and should be condemned.The law of succession and inheritance will also be impacted and hence infringe on the fundamental rights of citizens. It will also affect their personal laws and is therefore unacceptable. The Muslim community of India will face maximum brunt of this Bill. It can be subverted in a subtle way to create enmity against the Muslim community by terming their legally inherited property as enemy property, which is not in the interest of society and the nation. The government should pass such amendments in a democratic manner through Parliament and which does not cause any injustice to anyone.’’

Issued by Media Department
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
New Delhi