A Raja, DMK said that the Waqf Bill intends to cripple Waqf institutions and harm the Muslim community. Urging the government to withdraw the Bill, he said, “The irony is that the rights of minorities are going to be protected through this bill which is being brought by BJP which has no MP from the Muslim community.”
The party which does not have a single Muslim MP to introduce the Waqf Bill is giving lectures on secularism, said the MP. Raja said that Parliament was being used as a ventilatory chamber. “Don’t mix religion and politics,” Raja said.
“I wonder where did minister Kiren Rijiju get so much courage to explore cock-and-bull stories in the Parliament. Please go through the text of your speech and tally it with the JPC report and documents submitted with the JPC,” he said.
He added that the Waqf Bill will be detrimental to Muslims.“Today is a remarkable day for the Indian Parliament to decide our destiny; we will see whether the secular country is going to traverse the path of our forefathers and freedom fighters or will it travel in a negative path as decided by the communal forces in the country.”
Citing the resolution of the Tamil Nadu Assembly unanimously passed against Waqf Amendment Bill, he said, “The Waqf Bill is against minority rights and religious freedom. The judicial findings are inconsistent, and if passed, it will cripple the Waqf institutions and harm Muslim community.”
Akhilesh yadav, SP critised the bill, saying it is aimed at polarisation and will send a negative message to the world, damaging the country’s secular image. The Samajwadi Party (SP) chief argued that the bill would prove to be a ‘waterloo’ for the BJP as the NDA allies are unhappy with the legislation, though they are supporting it.
He added that it has been introduced to manage BJP’s dwindling vote bank. Taking a swipe at Union Minister Kiran Rijiju, he said that the bill is being introduced to divert attention from China’s “land capture.” “Bringing Waqf Bill is the BJP’s political game. The party wants to appease those supporters who are now distancing themselves from the party,” he said.
“As there has been a drop in the vote share, especially in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has been trying to manage votes, and this bill is being introduced for managing votes,” he added.
“BJP wants the Muslim community to feel that their rights are being attacked and the party gets to indulge in polarisation because that is their agenda,” the SP chief alleged.
Yadav also took potshots at BJP, wondering why the country’s largest political party is unable to choose its president. This prompted Home Minister Amit Shah to say it takes time to arrive at such decisions as the BJP is not a dynastic party. “In some parties, only five members of a family have to choose the president so it is easy and quick, but we have to follow a process that involves crores of members, so it takes time,” he retorted.
Kalyan banerjee, TMC described the Bill as “misconceived, irrational, and arbitrary,” stating that it aims to polarise Hindu and Muslim communities.
Participating in the debate, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP said that the Bill is a clear violation of the rights of Muslims to perform and manage their religious affairs and, therefore, violates Article 26 and the basic structure of the Constitution.
Referring to the proposed provision of allowing individuals practising Islam for five years to declare a waqf, Banerjee said that religious duties should not form the basis of legislation. “One can fulfil their religious obligations at any stage of life, even at the time of death,” he said.
The TMC MP strongly opposed the removal of Section 40, arguing that it would make the legislation ineffective and comparing it to a “toothless doll.” The omitted provisions relate to claims over property.
He also alleged that the Bill is intended to introduce further classifications within waqf boards based on the sects. Banerjee said that the Waqf properties form the backbone of Muslim communities.
Anurag thakur, BJP denounced the Congress for opposing the Bill, saying the proposed law would be the last nail in the coffin of Congress’s appeasement politics. The BJP MP said it was time to change the Waqf boards as they had become a “hub of corruption.” He accused the Congress of creating an atmosphere of confusion. He asserted that the Bill sends out a clear message that the country will be run only by the Constitution.
Thakur alleged that the Waqf Board had to administer properties for the welfare of the Muslim community. Still, the Congress and other opposition parties irresponsibly used the land to set up an empire which served as their “vote bank ATM”. “You will have to decide whether you will stand by the Constitution or Waqf,” he said.
Thakur said, “India has seen a partition in 1947. That partition happened because of one family and one party. Today, we will not allow a second partition in the name of land jihad. India needs freedom from the fear of the Waqf Board.”
He accused the Opposition of rejecting the Bill for political motives, rather than considering what he called the “injustice” in the way Waqf properties are administered. “Only 200 people have control over Waqf properties,” he said, adding that the land of Hindus, Dalits, tribals and backward classes has been taken over, and no one speaks against it.
T Krishna prasad, TDP supported the bill, saying that the Centre should consider giving the states flexibility to determine the composition of Waqf boards when framing rules for the Act. Participating in the debate, NDA ally Telugu Desam Party MP hoped that the Centre would consider the suggestion of giving flexibility to the state governments regarding the composition of boards in their respective states in the interest of Muslim women, youth, and the downtrodden.
This step will ensure the TDP’s dedication to inclusive growth and the welfare of communities, he said. The bill seeks to amend the Waqf Act of 1995 to address issues in regulating and managing Waqf properties.
It proposes removing Section 40 of the Waqf Act, which allows the boards to determine Waqf property status. Tenneti said these properties have been underutilised for the benefit of the community. He also stressed the economic and social potential of Waqf properties. The TDP leader said that the bill would address the mismanagement of the properties, he added.
“Our party supports the betterment of minority women through reforms in the Waqf Bill. We were the first to establish a special committee, and after extensive deliberations, the bill now includes 14 amendments, three of which were proposed by TDP,” he said.
Shrikant Shinde, shiv sena (shinde) criticized the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) for opposing the inclusion of non-Muslim members in the Waqf board, questioning whether they would have taken such a stance if Balasaheb Thackeray were alive. He accused the party of wanting to protect the personal properties of Nizams and Mughals, and their stance in supporting Aurangzeb.
Shinde also attacked the Shiv Sena (UBT) for their opposition to the revocation of Article 370 and the development of the Ram temple. Supporting the Waqf Management Bill, he said that it is aimed at the progress of minority communities.
“On behalf of Shiv Sena and my leader Eknath Shinde, I completely support this Bill. First Article 370, then Triple Talaq and CAA, and now this Bill has been brought to this House for the welfare of the poor...I was pained upon hearing his (UBT’s Arvind Sawant) speech. It was very shocking. I would like to ask UBT a question, they should ask their conscience whether they would have spoken the same had Balasaheb (Thackeray) been alive today,” he said.
“It is clear today whose ideology UBT is adopting today and opposing this Bill. They had a golden opportunity to rectify their mistakes, rewrite their history and keep their ideology alive...But UBT bulldozed their ideology beforehand...Had Balasaheb been here today and read UBT’s dissent note, he would have been pained...” he said.