Hyderabad Member of Parliament (MP) Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday said the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is discriminatory and arbitrary. Owaisi said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was dividing the nation by bringing the bill.
“This Bill violates the principles of Articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution. This Bill is both discriminatory and arbitrary. By bringing this Bill, you (the Central government) are dividing the nation, not uniting it. This Bill is a proof of the fact that you are an enemy of Muslims,” Owaisi, the AIMIM MP, said while speaking on the Bill in the Lok Sabha.
Minister for Minorities Kiren Rijiju on August 8 introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, in the Lok Sabha. The bill proposes to amend the Waqf Act, 1995 and seeks to ‘effectively’ address issues pertaining to the powers of the State Waqf Boards, Central Waqf Council, registration and examination of waqf properties and removal of encroachments.
Waqf Bill, 2024, mulk kobaantne ke liye laya gaya hai, jodne ke liye nahi. Aap musalmano ke dushman hain, yeh bill iss baat ka saboot hai.#GOAL #AsaduddinOwaisi #Parliament #WaqfBoardBill #waqf #WaqfActAmendmentBill photo.twitter.com/pCrsyoFOWg
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) August 8, 2024
Opposition parties in the INDIA bloc, including the Congress Party, the Samajwadi Party (SP), the DMK and the NCP (SCP), opposed the bill.
The main points opposed by the members of the INDIA bloc include giving powers to the district collector and involving non-Muslims in the state waqf boards (SWBs) and the central waqf board (CWC).
With over 40 amendments, the new bill proposes to repeal several clauses in the existing Waqf Act, 1995 – the law that governs waqf boards. Among other changes, the bill calls for far-reaching changes in the existing law, including ensuring representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims in central and state waqf bodies.
Opposition parties have demanded that the bill be sent to the parliament's standing committee for scrutiny after it is tabled. The government told the Business Advisory Committee that it would take a decision after assessing the sentiment of the Lok Sabha.