The Waqf Board Bill presented in the Lok Sabha has been stuck. Now this bill will be sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). After the opposition parties raised objections to the provisions of the bill, Minority Welfare Minister Kiren Rijiju proposed in the House that this bill be sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee. On this, the Speaker said that yes, I will form a committee soon. Lok Sabha Speaker Birla will now form a Joint Parliamentary Committee of members of both the houses which will consider the aspects of this bill and the objections of the MPs and submit its recommendations to the Parliament.
Earlier on Thursday, the government proposed to introduce the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 in the Lok Sabha, which was strongly opposed by the opposition and termed it beyond the constitutional authority of the House and against the fundamental rights of the Constitution. MPs of opposition parties demanded that the amendment bill be withdrawn or sent for consideration of the Joint Parliamentary Committee.
At one o’clock in the afternoon, with the permission of Speaker Om Birla, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju proposed to introduce this bill, which the opposition opposed and demanded a discussion on this proposal under Rule 72. After this, Birla, considering the sentiments of the opposition, allowed them to put forth their point under Rule 72.
While Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, CPI(M), CPI, YSR Congress etc. opposed the bill, Janata Dal United, Telugu Desam and Shiv Sena, which are part of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), supported the bill. Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Eknath Shinde strongly attacked the opposition and said that those who want to run the country’s systems on the basis of caste and religion should be ashamed. The purpose of this bill is to bring transparency and accountability but efforts are being made to spread confusion on the Constitution. Why did those who are opposing not remember the Constitution and the federal structure when their government appointed administrators in Shirdi and Mahalaxmi temples in Maharashtra?
Congress MP and General Secretary KC Venugopal said that this bill is anti-constitutional and will harm the interests of a community. He said that in the Constitution, every community has the right to keep movable and immovable property on religious, charitable basis. This bill talks about including two non-Muslim members in the Waqf Board. He questioned whether non-Hindus can be in Ayodhya’s Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. He said that this is an attack on the right to religious freedom and an attack on the fundamental rights granted by the Constitution. In Indian culture, everyone respects each other’s faiths and religious beliefs. But this step will create division among them.
Venugopal alleged that the government is moving towards fascism. He said that Waqf properties are hundreds of years old. Disputes will be raised on them. This bill has been brought with wrong intentions. This bill cannot be passed.
Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav said that this bill has been brought with deliberate politics. When there is a system of democratically electing members in the Waqf Board, then why is there a need for nomination. Why should a person from a non-community be in the board. He said that the truth is that the BJP is desperate and disappointed and has brought this bill to please a few fanatics. After this, Yadav said that this bill has been brought because they have just lost. Addressing the chairman, he said that the post of the chairman is the court of democracy but the rights of the chairman are also being curtailed.
Home Minister Amit Shah got angry at this. He said that the rights of the Speaker are the rights of the entire House and Akhilesh Yadav is not the guardian of those rights. On this, Lok Sabha Speaker Birla instructed the members not to make personal comments on the Chair or the internal arrangements of the Parliament.
Trinamool Congress’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kalyan Banerjee said that the House does not have the right to make a law on this issue. The Constitution says that this is a state subject. The Supreme Court has said that the government does not have the right to interfere in religious matters. Banerjee said that this bill is also against constitutional morality and has been brought to target Muslims. He said that before the elections, an attempt was made to declare India a Hindu nation, which could not succeed.
DMK’s Kanimozhi said that today is a very sad day in Parliament when a bill that violates all the articles of the Constitution has been introduced. We have taken an oath to protect the Constitution just a few days ago and this bill is an open encroachment on the Constitution, federal structure and humanity and is a violation of justice. All the old mosques will be in danger because some archaeologists will say that a particular mosque was earlier a temple. She said that this bill has been brought to target a community.
Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said that the government should withdraw the bill or send it to a committee. But this bill was first announced to the media and then to the MPs. This is an insult to the Parliament. She said that this bill proposes to abolish many sections of the Wakf Act and the Wakf Tribunal has also been weakened. She said that minorities are protected in every country. What is it that this bill has to be brought now?
ET Mohammed Basheer of Indian Union Muslim League said that this is a violation of the Constitution and the fundamental rights mentioned in it. This has been brought with a wrong intention and dirty agenda. The government wants to usurp the properties of Waqf and in this way is destroying the secular structure of the country. With the passing of this bill, the entire system of Waqf will be disrupted. The government has become cruel and is spreading poison in the country.
NK Premachandran of Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) said that this bill is against secularism. The sole purpose of Waqf is to better manage movable and immovable properties. With the passing of this bill, the Waqf Board will become powerless. He said that he wants to warn the government and this House that if the new law goes to the Supreme Court for constitutional interpretation, it will be rejected there.
Asaduddin Owaisi of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen said that Waqf is an essential religious activity. There are many inconsistencies in the provisions of the new bill. A non-Muslim can become a member of the board but to donate property, it is mandatory for him to follow Islam for five years. There is no justification in giving power to the collector because Waqf is not a public or government property. He alleged that the government is trying to divide the country again.
SP’s Mohibullah said that there are no people from non-community in the management committee of the Char Dhams of Hindus and the Gurudwaras of Sikhs. But injustice is being done to Muslims. Waqf is a religious belief of Muslims. The government is going to make a mistake. Through amendments, the government officials are being given the right to interfere in religion. This bill will harm the reputation of the country and the minority community will feel insecure. It may happen that people come out on the streets to protect the Constitution.
National Conference’s Mian Altaf Ahmed said that this is a big setback for the secular people of the country. India is known in the world for its secularism and democracy. India’s image will be tarnished. YSR Congress Party’s PV Mithun Reddy, Communist Party of India’s K. Subbarayan, Marxist Communist Party’s K. Radhakrishnan, VCK’s Thol Thirumavalam, Congress’ Imran Masood also opposed the bill. (With agency inputs)
