Govt vs Oppn in Rajya Sabha as Fiery Exchanges Over Waqf Bill Continue
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is set for a crucial test in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, a day after it passed through the Lok Sabha following a 12-hour debate.
New Delhi: The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is set for a crucial test in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, a day after it passed through the Lok Sabha following a 12-hour debate. Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju presented the Bill, emphasizing its significance in improving the lives of poor Muslim families.
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Heated Debates and Verbal Clashes in the Upper House
The Rajya Sabha witnessed multiple rounds of heated exchanges between treasury and opposition benches. The discussions included references to Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s alleged Waqf landholding claims and controversy over ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans reportedly raised after a Congress MP’s election win in Karnataka.
Home Minister Amit Shah stepped in, accusing the opposition of spreading misinformation about the Bill and rejecting claims that the BJP was trying to polarize the electorate through amendments.
Opposition Challenges Govt’s Claims on Legal Recourse
Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain from Karnataka strongly contested the Centre’s assertion that there was no legal recourse against Waqf Tribunal orders.
“They claim people can’t approach the courts if dissatisfied with the Tribunal’s decision. This is false. If so, why are there so many pending cases in the High Court and Supreme Court?” Hussain questioned.
HM Amit Shah countered, stating that the 2013 Act lacked provisions for civil suits against Waqf Tribunal orders, limiting legal options to writ petitions in the High Court.
Congress MP Accuses Govt of Targeting Waqf Properties
Naseer Hussain accused the BJP of creating confusion over 123 Waqf properties in Delhi.
“They are trying to make us second-class citizens. These properties, including mosques, dargahs, and graveyards, were allotted to the Waqf by the British. The BJP is now distorting facts,” he alleged.
He further accused the government of using the Bill to deepen polarization.
BJP MP Sparks Row Over ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ Slogans
BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agarwal claimed that ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans were raised when Naseer Hussain was sworn into the Rajya Sabha in Karnataka.
“When BJP workers protested, they were jailed,” Agarwal alleged. He called the Waqf Bill a ‘revolutionary’ reform for the Muslim community and highlighted Muslim beneficiaries of Modi government schemes like PM Awas Yojana and Ujjwala Yojana.
Congress MPs protested his remarks, with Pramod Tiwari demanding proof for the allegations.
Amit Shah Defends BJP MP’s Remarks
Home Minister Amit Shah clarified that Agarwal did not accuse Naseer Hussain directly but stated that the slogans were raised by some people during the swearing-in.
Naseer Hussain rejected the claims, calling them false. “Only one journalist made this claim, and I asked the police to take action if such an incident occurred,” he stated.
Kharge Challenges BJP MP’s Allegations
Earlier in the day, LoP Mallikarjun Kharge took strong objection to allegations made against him by BJP MP Anurag Thakur in the Lok Sabha.
“If he can prove his allegations, I will resign. But if he fails, he should resign from the House,” Kharge declared.
