New Delhi: Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju asserted Monday that the government is fully prepared to table the amended Waqf Bill in Parliament, as he accused some political parties and organisations of seeking to foment unrest in society and mislead people over its provisions.
With Parliament reconvening Tuesday following the weekend and Eid holiday, he said the timing of the bill’s introduction will be decided following consultations after Parliament meets, but he wants it passed as soon as possible.
The ongoing Budget session of Parliament is scheduled to end April 4, and the bill will have to be passed by both the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha to become a law.
The government has indicated that it will discuss with leaders of different parties Tuesday the timing of the Bill’s introduction. It is likely to be first introduced in the Lower House, probably Wednesday.
Opposition parties are strongly opposed to the bill, slamming it as unconstitutional and against the interest of the Muslim community. Several leading Muslim organisations have been rallying support against the bill, which was scrutinised by a Joint Committee of Parliament and approved with several amendments.
Speaking to reporters, Rijiju accused some political parties and organisations, a clear reference to the opposition and Muslim bodies, of resorting to lies to mislead society and stoke tensions, while insisting that the bill is in the interest of Muslims.
Muslims were urged to wear black armbands during Ramzan and Eid to express their opposition to the proposed law, he said, asserting that inciting them to hit the streets is not good for the country.
Rijiju said it is being alleged that the government will snatch Muslim properties like mosques and graveyards if the bill becomes a law, dismissing it as propaganda and noting that the bill to regulate Waqf has been in existence since the British era.
He said a similar campaign was started against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and asked if a single Muslim has lost citizenship since the law came into existence.
He urged the opposition to study the bill in detail and then engage in discussions with the government.
Asked if all the NDA parties support the bill, he claimed that not only the ruling alliance but also many MPs of the opposition INDIA bloc have urged him to table the proposed law quickly.
The bill is in the interest of a majority of Muslims and only a few leaders who have exploited Waqf properties for personal gains are against it, he claimed and also noted the support of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council to it.
Asserting that no other bill has passed through such an extensive consultation process, he accused its critics of resorting to falshoods and stressed that minorities are safest in India and enjoy the “best rights of freedom”.
PTI
