Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Monday that the government is ready to present the new Waqf bill in Parliament. He accused some political parties and groups of trying to create confusion and unrest among people regarding this bill.
As Parliament will meet again on Tuesday after taking a break for the weekend and Eid, Rijiju mentioned that the timing for presenting the bill will be decided after discussions when Parliament is back. He hopes the bill will pass quickly. The current Budget session is set to end on April 4, and both the Lok Sabha (the Lower House) and Rajya Sabha (the Upper House) need to approve the bill for it to become a law.
Opposition parties are strongly against the bill, calling it wrong and harmful to Muslims. Many Muslim organizations are trying to gather support against the bill, which was reviewed and approved by a Joint Committee of Parliament with some changes. Rijiju told reporters that some political parties are spreading lies to create tensions, insisting that the bill is actually beneficial to Muslims.
He mentioned that Muslims were encouraged to wear black armbands during Ramadan and Eid to show their disagreement with the law, which he said is not good for the country. Rijiju dismissed fears that the government would take away Muslim properties, like mosques and graveyards, if the bill passes, calling that idea false. He reminded everyone that the Waqf regulation has been around since the British rule.
Referencing past issues, he noted that similar fears were expressed about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and questioned if any Muslim has lost their citizenship since it was passed. Rijiju urged opposition members to carefully review the bill and discuss it with the government. When asked about support from other parties, he claimed that many members from the opposition also want to see the bill introduced quickly. He believes the bill benefits most Muslims, explaining that only a handful of leaders who misuse Waqf properties oppose it. He mentioned that the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council supports the bill as well. Rijiju emphasized that no other bill has gone through such a thorough discussion process, accusing critics of spreading false information, and he stressed that minorities are safe in India and enjoy good rights and freedoms.
Leave a Reply