Srinagar: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah Monday termed the Waqf (Amendment) Act as “unconstitutional”, saying his party was against it and was hoping for justice from the Supreme Court.
“NC is against this (Waqf) Bill. We think it is unconstitutional and parties have gone to the Supreme Court… that is why (Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly) Speaker did not allow a debate as the issue has reached the Supreme Court.
“We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will do justice,” Abdullah told reporters in the Ganderbal district of central Kashmir.
Asked to comment on the visit of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the NC president said it was good as he can assess the situation in the Union Territory (UT), and expressed hope that J-K’s statehood would be restored soon.
“He (Union home minister) comes regularly. It is a good thing that he visits, he can see the situation, the situation on the borders, the situation in the state. We hope that they restore the statehood sooner,” Abdullah said.
Asked if he would intervene and talk to the home minister about the issue of the Waqf Amendment Act, the NC president said “Why do I need to talk? The CM will talk. I will not talk to him (Shah) about that.”
NC indulging in theatrics in J-K Assembly over Waqf Amendment Act: Sajad Lone
Peoples’ Conference chief Sajad Lone on Monday accused the National Conference of indulging in theatrics in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly over the Waqf Amendment Act and said the ruling party should have brought a resolution in the House against the new law.
The Handwara MLA also slammed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for meeting Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijju, who presented the Waqf bill in Parliament, at Tulip Garden here.
“If NC’s song and dance performance in the assembly is not theatre, why is NC not bringing a no-confidence motion against its own speaker for disallowing their adjournment motion? Is Waqf bill sub-judice.
“The petition against the Waqf bill has not been admitted yet. So how can it be sub- judice?” Lone said in a post on X.
Earlier in the day, J&K Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather rejected an adjournment motion on the Waqf Amendment Act because the matter was sub-judice.
The Peoples’ Conference chief said an adjournment motion is a censure motion against government and is brought to discuss the failures of the government.
“You cannot bring adjournment motion on Waqf Bill. Adjournment means discussion and reply by the Minister in charge. The only legislative device to condemn the move was resolution. It was the only tool available to us to express our collective disapproval against this law,” he added.
Lone also said three resolutions in the assembly seeking restoration of statehood lapsed on Monday.
“This is a similar situation when the resolution brought on (Parliament attack convict) Afzal Guru lapsed in 2013 when NC speaker adjourned House after Congress, then ally of NC-led government, created pandemonium out of blue.
“So, was this song dance about Waqf or about stalling and delaying statehood resolutions? By all accounts points things don’t add up,” he said.
Referring to Assembly Speaker Rather, Lone said the speaker who disallowed the adjournment motion belongs to NC and added that the members who brought in the adjournment motion were also from NC.
The Peoples’ Conference chief said the single Muslim majority province in India “fails” to collectively condemn the Waqf Amendment Act, and also “lapses” three bills on restoration of statehood.
“And in the most audacious snub to Muslims all across the country, the CM of this only Muslim majority province in India is seen in the company of a Union Minister who presented this bill in the Parliament. What a curse?” Lone said in his post.
