New Delhi: Union Minister of Textiles, Giriraj Singh on Friday slammed the Opposition parties for raising objections to the amendments proposed in the Waqf Bill.
Giriraj Singh said that the Opposition should clarify how many amendments have been made in the past.
He argued that when the Congress introduces amendments, it is considered good, but these current amendments aimed at bringing transparency are being criticised by the Opposition party.
He stated that the Opposition does not want impoverished Muslims or women to get their rights and was trying to create a narrative that only the Opposition parties support the minority community.
He also said that Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha (LoP) Rahul Gandhi is attempting to set this narrative, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi is bringing transparency.
Giriraj Singh highlighted that the Triple Talaq Bill was also introduced for the benefit of Muslim women, and similarly, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 includes provisions for the participation of women and poor people from the community.
Giriraj Singh further commented that people like AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Opposition parties are responsible for dividing the country as they see everything from the Hindu-Muslim lens. He claimed that Owaisi aspires to be another Jinnah (founder of Pakistan), but Bharat will remain Bharat.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced the Waqf Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, in the Lok Sabha, on Thursday which led to disruptions from the Opposition.
The Bill aims to amend the Waqf Act of 1995 and repeal the Mussalman Waqf Act of 1923.
Waqf refers to property dedicated solely to religious or charitable purposes under Islamic law, and once declared as Waqf, the property cannot be taken back.
The amendments in the Bill seek to address these issues. There are about 30 Waqf boards in India, managing properties that cover over 9 lakh acres, valued at approximately Rs 1.2 lakh crore, making them the third-largest landowners in the country after the Railways and the Defence Ministry.
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