Kolkata, Apr 16 (PTI) Leaders of the Muslim community on Wednesday welcomed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s suggestion to them to seek appointment with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express their reservations over the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

All India Imam Association chief Maulana MD Bakibillah Molla described Banerjee’s advice as “positive”, and said they would soon hold a meeting to decide on meeting the President and the prime minister.

“We will soon hold a meeting over the issue. We also appeal to people to maintain peace and not take law into their hands, and not pay heed to any provocation,” Molla told PTI.

The clerics also condemned the violence in Bengal’s Murshidabad district, where at least three people have been killed and hundreds rendered homeless mainly in Suti, Samserganj, Dhulian and Jangipur during recent protests against the Waqf Act.

West Bengal Furfura Sharif cleric Pirzada Toha Siddiqui claimed that no Hindus were attacked in Murshidabad, and accused the BJP of spreading false information to “confuse” common people and incite violence.

“We welcome the CM’s proposals and we will fight against this Act,” he said.

Sheikh Mohammed Ayub Ali, president of Howrah Zilla Imam Fund, said, “We will soon decide on seeking appointment to meet the President and the PM. We are happy with today’s meeting, and this will definitely help us in our fight against the Waqf Act.” Earlier in the day, Banerjee held a meeting with Muslim religious leaders here and urged them to seek appointment with Murmu and Modi over the contentious legislation.

“Protest in a democratic manner… You will get nothing protesting in Bengal. I ask you to go to Delhi and stage your demonstrations. I will advice you to write to the President and the PM to express concerns about the Waqf law amendments,” she said.

“I also promise you that my party MPs will stand by your side in the protests (against the Act) in the country. I will also urge other members of the INDIA bloc to support you during the protests,” she said at the meeting. PTI SCH RBT