The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, that was tabled in the Lok Sabha, seeks to scrap Section 40 of the Waqf Act. The Section allows the waqf boards and the Tribunal to declare any land as Waqf property.
Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju called it the "most draconian" provision, alleging it was misused for mass land conversions. The new Bill allows these decisions to be challenged in courts.
He said the Waqf Amendment Bill would be renamed UMEED Bill, Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Bill.
JD(U) MP Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh says,
"Since the beginning of the discussion, attempts have been made to create an atmosphere as if the Bill is anti-Muslim…But the Bill is not anti-Muslim at all...Waqf is a sort of Trust which is formed to work in the interest of Muslims. This is not a religious organisation...
The Trust has the right to do justice to all sections of Muslims, but that is not happening...Today, a narrative is being made. PM Modi is being criticised, if you do like him then do not look at him. But appreciate his good work."
Akhilesh Yadav Waqf Bill brought to hide government's failure
"Dilute, Defame, Divide, Disenfranchise": Congress' '4D' Attack On Waqf Bill
Gaurav Gogoi said:
"What message do you (government) want to give? The community that fought for India's independence, the community that sacrificed its life along with Mangal Pandey in 1857, you want to tarnish the image of that community.
.....that community supported the Quit India Movement...
You want to tarnish the image of the community which completely rejected Jinnah's two-nation theory in 1924. This is your divide and rule. Nationalism for us is being united...".
"Did the Minority Affairs Ministry make this bill, or did some other department make it? Where did this Bill come from?... Today, the condition of minorities in the country has become such that today, the government will have to give a certificate of their religion...," said Gaurav Gogoi, the Congress lawmaker from Assam.
"Will they ask for a certificate from other religions whether you have completed five years or not? Why is this being asked in this bill? Why is the government interfering in this matter of religion...?"
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi launched a fierce counterattack Wednesday - after Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju tabled the Waqf Amendment Bill - accusing the BJP-led government of trying to "defame (and) disenfranchise minorities" and staging an "4D assault on the Constitution".
Gogoi also questioned the government over a contentious provision - that donations can only be made by a Muslim who has been practicing his/her faith for at least five years. It is a sad situation, the Congress leader said, when the government takes it on itself to issue 'religious certificates'.
"Today the condition of minorities has become such the government will give a 'certificate 'of their religion. Will they ask for certificates from other religions also... whether they have completed five years? Why is this being asked of Muslims? Why is the government interfering in religion?"
In his lengthy rebuttal to Mr Rijiju, the Assam leader began by accusing the Union Minister of making misleading statements, which earned him a reprimand from Speaker Om Birla.
"This bill is an assault on the Constitution..." he began, firing a '4D' attack at the BJP. "The aim is to dilute the Constitution, defame and disenfranchise minorities... divide Indian society."
Gogoi also pointed out the Minority Affairs Ministry did not mention this bill in four meetings of its parliamentary committee in 2023, a year before the amendments were suddenly tabled.
The heated debate on the Waqf bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday saw light-hearted banter between Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the selection of the next BJP president.
Akhilesh veered off-topic to assert that the "biggest political party" was yet to elect its own president.
"A party that claims to be the biggest political party in the world has still not been able to elect its own national president," Akhilesh Yadav said with a wry smile on his face.
The Home Minister quipped that the process in the BJP was unlike other parties, where presidents were selected from family members.
"Akhilesh ji made his remark with a smile, so I will respond in the same manner. The parties sitting across from us in this House all have national presidents who are selected from just five family members.
But in our party, we have to conduct a process involving 12-13 crore members, so naturally, it takes time," Amit Shah said.
"If the Waqf property is managed properly desh ka taqdeer badal jae ga"
#NorthEast brigade dominates #LokSabha proceedings on #WaqfBill. #BJP fields @KirenRijiju. #GauravGogoi represents #Opposition #Congress
Cash-rich Waqf Board will be used for poor Muslims, Kiren Rijiju tells Parliament
"...This provision is being made in the government that when you create Waqf property, it should not happen that you go to a tribal area and create Waqf on tribal land.
Therefore, keeping in mind the protection of the tribals of our country, you cannot create Waqf property in Schedule 5 and Schedule 6...". - Kiren Rijiju
"...When our country has the largest Waqf property in the world, why hasn't it been used for the education, medical treatment, skill development, and income generation of poor Muslims?
Why has no progress been made in this regard so far?...If this government, under the leadership of PM Modi, is working for the betterment of poor Muslims, then why is there an objection?..."
"Now Shia, Sunni, Bohra, backward Muslims, women, and expert Non-Muslims will also be there in Waqf Board. Let me elaborate in detail. I'll give my own example. Suppose I am not a Muslim but I am Minority Affairs Minister.
Then I become Chairman of the Central Waqf Council. Despite my position, there can be a maximum of 4 Non-Muslim members in the Council, and among them, 2 women members are compulsory..."
"Aapko nahi malum ... Musalmano kaisey bhayankar support kar rahen haen is Bill ko lekar
(You do not know how Muslim community people are supporting this Bill" )
Even Parliament building could have been claimed as Waqf: Kiren Rijiju slams UPA
Rijiju said: "...About the work done in 2012-2013, I want to mention that the elections were approaching and the Model Code of Conduct was about to be imposed. The elections happened in April-May 2014.
On 5th March 2014, the UPA government transferred 123 prime properties under the Housing and Urban Development Ministry to the Delhi Waqf Board.
What was the need? Only a few days were left before elections.
Couldn’t you have waited?
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