Waqf Bill: INDIA bloc meets to come up with joint strategy

Leader of Opposition in LS Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, NCP leader Supriya Sule, TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee, and AAP’s Sanjay Singh attended the meeting.

DMK’s T R Baalu, Tiruchi Siva and Kanimozhi, RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha, CPM’s John Brittas, CPI’s Sandosh Kumar P, RSP’s N K Premchandran and Vaiko also attended the meeting.

After the meeting, Congress whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore, who attended the meeting, told The Indian Express: “All the parties are united and will fight against the government in the House. We want a discussion to happen on the Bill and will oppose it. We also want voting to happen on the Bill. It is an attack on the Constitution, and we are against it.”

Meanwhile, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has appealed to all secular political parties, including the BJP’s allies, to strongly oppose the Bill and vote against it to “prevent the BJP’s communal agenda”.

“I expect you and your party will strongly oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024 when it will be tabled in Parliament tomorrow and will not disappoint lakhs of Muslim citizens across the nation, who have faith in you and whom you represent,” AIMPLB president Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani appealed to the MPs on Tuesday.

Rahmani said the Bill is not only based on discrimination and injustice but also directly contradicts the provisions of fundamental rights under Articles 14, 25 and 26 of the Constitution.

He said that through this Bill, the BJP aims to weaken Waqf laws and pave the way for the seizure and destruction of Waqf properties. “Even with the existence of the Places of Worship Act, the issue of searching for temples in every mosque is continuously escalating. If this amendment is passed, there will be a surge in illegitimate governmental and non-governmental claims on Waqf properties, making it easier for collectors and district magistrates to seize them,” Rahmani said.