Centre to table Waqf Amendment Bill tomorrow despite Opposition backlash

Amid criticism from the Opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government will table the Waqf (Amendement) Bill, 2024, in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju informed.

The Bill will be tabled after the question hour tomorrow for consideration and passing and following which an 8 hour discussion will be held which is also subjected to increased, Rijiu informed.

The Bill, amended after the report of a joint parliamentary panel, will be taken up for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha, sources said.

After eight hours of proposed discussion, Minorities Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will respond to the debate and seek the approval of the House for its passage, the sources said on Tuesday.

The issue came for discussion at the meeting of the business advisory committee (BAC) chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the sources said.

Earlier, black armband protests against the Union government's Waqf (Amendment) Bill and a placard expressing solidarity with embattled Palestine amid Eid celebrations in Madhya Pradesh on Monday triggered a war of words between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress.

Eid was celebrated with traditional fervour in the state during the day, though some community members wore black armbands to protest against the central government's move to amend the Waqf Act, while at one place in Bhopal eyewitnesses claimed seeing a group holding an 'I stand with Palestine' placard.

In a statement, MP minister Vishvas Sarang said attempts to incite violence by spreading divisive rhetoric will not be tolerated.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi stirred emotions in Parliament with a Palestine bag, he said, adding opposition leaders should be ashamed of stooping so low for appeasement politics.

“When Hindus were oppressed in Bangladesh, Priyanka didi had no time to support those Hindus. Such attempts to spread chaos in the country by displaying banners on Eid will not be tolerated. These elements should understand that if they are benefiting from India, they should also think like Indians. Such divisive thinking will not be accepted,” Sarang said.

The MP sports minister said opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill without reading it is wrong.

“Waqf has not benefited any poor Muslim. Only wealthy Muslim leaders involved in illegal land grabbing have benefited from the Waqf Board,” he said in the statement.

Hitting back, MP Congress spokesperson Abhinav Barolia said Palestine was “not our enemy”.

“Today, if any Muslim brother is expressing his feelings regarding Palestine on Eid, what is wrong with that? This issue should be treated as a matter of humanity, not politics,” Barolia said in a statement.

Sarang does not talk about development and has nothing to do apart from creating Hindu-Muslim divide, the Congress leader alleged.

“Today, when electricity bills and property taxes are rising, they (ruling BJP) are not discussing that. Instead, they are focusing on dividing Hindus and Muslims. Go to Palestine (Gaza) and see the atmosphere there and the kind of barbarism that has taken place,” Barolia said.