Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has said the Waqf (Amendment) Act will not only benefit the deprived people belonging to the Muslim community but also protect the interests of tribal communities in the state by preventing land grabbing.
He also hit out at the Congress, accusing it of failing to introduce a caste census despite being in power for 60 years.
“Waqf board was introduced with the objective of upliftment of economically backwards and downtrodden women from the Muslim community and Pasmanda Muslims. However, it did not happen.
“The influential people from the Muslim community took the Waqf properties on lease and set up big malls. The rich kept on becoming richer, but the poor did not get any benefit,” Sai said in an interview with PTI Videos.
He said that amending the Waqf law was one of the bold decisions of the prime minister.
“We would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been taking many bold decisions. This is also one of them. With the introduction of the Act, their arbitrariness will definitely stop and the Waqf Board will work for the upliftment of the Pasmanda Muslims, the poor and the women,” he said.
“Chhattisgarh is a tribal-dominated state, and the land of the tribals will also be protected here with this Amendment Act. The Waqf boards will not be able to cast their eyes on their (tribals’) land either,” he added.
About Congress claims that the government is eyeing political gains with its move to include the caste survey in the next census, Sai called the opposition party a “sinking ship” and said it has nothing to speak of.
“There is a huge difference between what Congress says and what it does. They have been demanding a caste-based census since the Nehruvian era, but did nothing despite being in power for 55-60 years,” he said.
Praising PM Modi for the decision to include caste enumeration in the census, he said, “The country is fortunate to have such a visionary PM who considers all 140 crore Indians as family and works day and night for their happiness and sorrows”.
With the motto of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’ and ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’, he has been working for everyone’s development and winning everyone’s trust, he said, adding that the country will benefit from caste census.
On April 30, the Centre announced that caste enumeration will be included in the next census exercise.
PTI
