Paschim Medinipur, (West Bengal) [India], January 25 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh on Saturday lashed out at the opposition parties for objecting against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill of 2024, labelling their opposition as “drama” to garner votes.
He said that the entire country desired that the Waqf bill be passed since it was a sign of colonial occupation. Even though the opposition parties are trying to stop the bill from getting passed, nothing will happen, the BJP leader added.
“The Waqf Bill that has come has to be passed, the whole country wants it. It is a sign of colonial occupation. But the opposition parties are trying very hard to stop it. They tried to stop CAA, GST, (Article) 370 but were not successful. They are doing drama only for votes, to show Muslims that they are fighting for them. This is in the interest of poor Muslims. But no matter how much drama is done, nothing is going to happen,” Ghosh told ANI.
Amid a huge ruckus, all the Opposition MPs that are part of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, were suspended from sitting on Friday. The suspended MPs include Mohammad Jawaid, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kalyan Banerjee, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader A Raja, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Nasir Hussain, Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders Mohibbullah Nadvi, M. Abdullah, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Arvind Sawant, Nadimul Haque, and Congress’ Imran Masood.
“What is going on is an undeclared emergency,” Banerjee asserted while referring to the happenings inside the JPC meeting. He said that the subject and dates for the meeting were changed after they landed in Delhi for the meet. The TMC MP accused the government of “hurrying” owing to the upcoming Assembly polls in the national capital, which are scheduled to be held on February 5.
Meanwhile, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the Head of Mutahida Majlis-E-Ulema, voiced strong opposition to the proposed amendments to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, during his meeting with the JPC. He was leading a delegation of Ulemas from Jammu and Kashmir, who were in consultation with religious leaders from Leh and Kargil.
Farooq expressed concerns that the amendments would disempower the Muslim community in the region and undermine their rights.
Moreover, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi told ANI, “The Waqf Bill is a sensitive issue. If the government wants to bulldoze it and bring it to the Parliament via JPC, then it will have adverse effects, legally and on a particular community. The proposed amendments are not to save Waqf’s properties but to destroy them… The process to submit the committee report has been started haphazardly… This is a sensitive Bill and its results are going to be far-reaching. But the way BJP wants to do it, the process is wrong… We request the Lok Sabha Speaker to intervene in this matter.”
Responding to the allegations, Jagdambika Pal, chairman of the JPC, TMC MP Banerjee of using “unparliamentary” language against him. He said that the house was adjourned twice due to the alleged ruckus created by the opposition leaders, who have been suspended from the JPC meeting.
Officials said that the next meeting of the JPC on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is scheduled to be held on January 27.
The JPC on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is expected to submit its report during the Budget session, with the committee’s term extended during the winter session of Parliament.
The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments.
The Budget session of Parliament will commence on January 31 and continue till April 4, with the Union Budget to be presented on February 1.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to address these challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. (ANI)
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