Kashmiri leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq voiced concerns on Friday about proposed changes to India’s Waqf laws. During his sermon at the Grand Mosque in Srinagar, he warned that any amendments to these laws, particularly those affecting the Jammu and Kashmir region, would face strong opposition from Muslims.

Farooq specifically criticized the inclusion of non-Muslims on the Waqf Board and alterations to land dispute resolutions, arguing that these changes would “disempower Muslims across India, especially in Jammu and Kashmir.”

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He emphasized that most mosques, shrines, and khanqas are under the Waqf board and described the proposed amendments as a “direct interference in religious matters.”

The amendments, introduced by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in parliament on Thursday, sparked controversy and were sent to a joint parliamentary committee for further discussion. Critics, including the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, have condemned the government’s move, likening it to a “takeover” of autonomous bodies.

Indian Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the bill, claiming that extensive consultations had taken place and accusing the opposition of misleading the Muslim community. Waqf boards, responsible for managing Muslim properties in India, oversee a vast number of estates and properties across the country.

In a related development, former Chief Minister of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK), Mehbooba Mufti, wrote to Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, urging the resumption of Line of Control (LoC) trade and bus services between the divided regions of Kashmir as a confidence-building measure to restore normalcy in the area.