GUWAHATI: Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju criticised the INDIA bloc for opposing the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, on Thursday, August 8. Rijiju lauded the NDA government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of correcting shortcomings left by the Congress-led UPA government.
The bill proposes renaming the Waqf Act, 1995, to the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act. It aims to modernise the registration of Waqf properties through a central portal. Rijiju defended the bill, stating it builds on the Sachar Committee’s recommendations, a report commissioned under the UPA government to address the needs of the Muslim community.
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Targeting the Congress party, Rijiju said, "We bring this bill to tell the people of the country that we could do, whatever you could not ever do. Support this bill, I appeal to everyone because it will get you blessings of crores of people."
He also said that the bill being brought today is based on the report of the Sachar committee made by the Congress. The Sachar committee report called for reforms amongst the Muslim community. "This bill being brought today is based on the report of Sachar committee which you made," the Union Minister highlighted.
Rijiju challenged the Congress, asserting that the NDA is fulfilling promises unaddressed by the previous administration. He claimed the bill addresses issues like Waqf land being controlled by 'mafia' and asserts that it will not infringe on religious freedoms, citing a Supreme Court ruling.
During the UPA 1.0, a 7-member panel headed by former Delhi High Court Chief Justice Rajinder Sachar was formed by the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. This committee was tasked with studying the social, economic and educational conditions of Indian Muslims.
The Minister also accused the Opposition of being silent on the issue because of vote bank politics. He furthermore claimed that 'mafia' captured Waqf land and that Muslims have been misled due to partisan politics. "Many MPs told me privately that Waqf boards are captured by mafia but are now opposing the bill," he said.
He also clarified that the if the bill is passed, there will be no interference with the freedom of any religious body and no article of Constitution has been violated. Citing a Supreme Court ruling, the Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs MInister said that the Waqf board does not fall under the purview of Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution.
"Forget about snatching anyone's rights. We, in this bill are trying to bring justice for those who never got justice, and we will fight for their rights. The amendment to the Bill has not happened for the first time. Since independence, the bill has been amended multiple times."
The opposition INDIA bloc, led by the Congress, opposed the bill in the Lok Sabha. Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal called the bill 'draconian' and an attack on the Constitution. He alleged that the bill was being brought into foment divide and hatred on religious lines.
DMK's Kanimozhi said that the bill violated Article 30, which provides minorities with the right to administer their institutions. NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule and AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi also opposed the bill. While Sule said that 'agendas' should not be pushed without consultations, Owaisi said that he was being stopped from praying. "A Hindu can give his complete property, but I cannot give it in the name of Allah. No such provision exists for Hindu boards or the Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee," Owaisi added, while calling the government anti-Muslim.
