Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has strongly opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, warning the Narendra Modi government that passing the bill in its current form could lead to social instability. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, he accused the government of violating Articles 25, 26, and 14 of the Constitution and claimed that the entire Muslim community has rejected the bill.
“I am cautioning and warning this government – if you bring and make a Waqf law in the present form, which will be a violation of Article 25, 26, and 14, it will lead to social instability in this country. It has been rejected by the entire Muslim community. No Waqf property will be left, nothing will be left,” Owaisi said, as quoted by ANI.
Owaisi further stated that while both the government and the Muslim community want a ‘Viksit Bharat’, the bill could take the country back to the 1980s and early 1990s, hinting at a potential backlash.
“As a proud Indian Muslim, I will not lose an inch of my Masjid…I will not lose an inch of my Dargah. I will not allow that. We will no more come and give a diplomatic talk over here. This is the House where I have to stand and speak honestly. My community – we are proud Indians. It is my property, not given by anyone. You cannot snatch it away from me. Waqf is a form of worship for me,” Owaisi asserted.
Opposition MPs Protest Expunction of Dissent Notes
On Monday, opposition MPs Kalyan Banerjee (TMC) and Md Nadimul Haque (TMC) raised objections over the alleged removal of their dissent notes from the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, they claimed that their objections were arbitrarily deleted without prior notice or explanation.
“To our dismay and utter surprise, we found that the following objectives and dissent notes have been deleted by the Chairman without informing us and without our consent,” the MPs wrote, as quoted by ANI.
The dissent notes were reportedly submitted after the JPC’s draft report was approved by 14 members, with 11 members opposing it. Banerjee and Haque alleged that the committee’s findings were biased and predetermined.
“The observations and/or recommendations are a glaring instance of preconceived motions and views of the Chairperson and the members of the ruling party,” the letter stated.
As the debate over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill intensifies, opposition parties are expected to mount further resistanceagainst its passage, setting the stage for a heated parliamentary session.
