VIJAYAWADA: YSRC Rajya Sabha MP V Vijayasai Reddy, who is a part of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) constituted to review the Waqf Board Amendment Bill, strongly opposed the Bill during a meeting of the panel held on Thursday.
After the meeting, Vijayasai Reddy took to X and said, “In line with the decision of our party president @ysjagan and the party’s official stand, the Waqf Board Amendment Bill was opposed by me in today’s meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) with a rationale. This bill has many concerns of various stakeholders and is not acceptable in its current form. As a member of JPC, I would like to hear from all the stakeholders and be your voice in the committee. If there are any concerns, or objections that you have, then you can email me at venumbaka.vr@sansad.nic.in. I will put forth the concerns before the committee by way of a “dissenting note” which will form part of a permanent record in the annals of History.”
Earlier in the day, YSRC president and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held a meeting with Muslim elders and representatives, and pledged his continued support for the community’s welfare.
He vowed to oppose the Wakf Bill, which has raised concerns about land encroachment issues. Stating that the YSRC has always focused on addressing the issues of Muslims, Jagan emphasised that the party has consistently worked for their welfare and development, and will continue to support them.
The YSRC chief assured them that concerns raised about the Wakf Bill will be strongly represented by the party’s MPs. He also mentioned that Vijayasai Reddy will take the lead in presenting their objections in Parliament.
Expressing their concerns, representatives of Muslim organisations said over 70% of Wakf lands are currently encroached upon. They stated that the new provisions in the proposed Wakf Bill aim to prevent these lands from being reclaimed by the rightful beneficiaries.
The representatives further mentioned that the new Wakf Bill is designed in a way that could weaken the entire system. They appreciated the YSRC’s opposition to the Bill and noted that it was only due to the party’s stance that the Bill was referred to the JPC by the Centre.
Ex-MLA Hafeez Khan highlighted the steps taken by the Jagan-led government for the protection of Wakf lands. He explained that making the Wakf Board stronger and putting all the land details online is a big development.