New Delhi. A bill related to amendment in the Waqf Act was introduced in the Lok Sabha today, which caused a lot of uproar in the Parliament. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced this bill, after which a heated debate and protest was seen in the House. DMK MP Kanimozhi termed the bill as against the Constitution and humanity. She said that this bill violates the supremacy of the Constitution and Articles 25 and 26. She alleges that this bill makes provision for non-Muslims to join the Waqf Board, which is a direct violation of Article 30 of the Constitution. She said, “This bill targets a particular religious group and is against the federal structure. This is an attempt to weaken the Constitution.”
#WATCH , Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju moves Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Lok Sabha pic.twitter.com/g65rf2tDow
— ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2024
TMC MP Sudip Bandopadhyay also reacted sharply to this bill. He said that this bill violates Article 14 of the Constitution and many Muslim clerics have expressed concern over it. Samajwadi Party’s Rampur MP Mohibullah Nadvi questioned the provisions of the bill and said that many powers are being given to the collector in it, which according to him is interference in religious matters. He gave the example of the Waqf Board of Mecca and asked, “Will we talk about including Hindu brothers in the board there too?”
Congress MP KC Venugopal also criticized the bill and called it an attack on the Constitution. He raised the question whether non-Hindu members could be included in the Ayodhya Temple Board. He said, “The right to religious freedom is being attacked through this bill. This bill is part of the government’s political agenda and its purpose is to influence the vote bank keeping in mind the upcoming elections.” There was a huge uproar in the House on this issue. Speaker Om Birla appealed to the members to remain calm and assured that everyone would be given a chance to speak.
#WATCH , Congress MP KC Venugopal opposes Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Lok Sabha
He says, “This bill is a fundamental attack on the Constitution…Through this bill, they are putting a provision that non-Muslims also be members of the Waqf governing council. It is a direct… pic.twitter.com/ISzfV2PB6Y
— ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2024
