"No Interference In Any Religious Body": Kiren Rijiju Defends Waqf Bill

Opposition parties led by the Congress joined ranks to protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha today. The legislation aims to address issues related to powers of State Waqf Boards, registration and survey of Waqf properties and removal of encroachment. Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju later proposed sending the Bill to a joint parliamentary committee.

The legislation proposes to amend 44 sections of the 1995 Waqf Act. The Bill proposes that the Central Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards must have two women. It also lays down that money received by the Waqf Board must be used for the welfare of widows, divorcees, and orphans in the manner suggested by the government. Another key proposal is that women's inheritances must be protected. The provision for including non-Muslim members of Waqf bodies is another contentious point in the proposed law. 

During the discussion of the Bill in Lok Sabha, Congress's KC Venugopal termed the proposed law "draconian" and said it is an attack on the freedom of religion and federal system. He also opposed the provision of appointing non-Muslim members to Waqf board.

Samajwadi Party, the second-largest Opposition force, has also opposed the Bill. "This Bill has been introduced as part of well-thought-out politics. When there is a democratic process for election, why nominate people. No person from outside the community is part of other religious bodies. What is the point of including non-Muslims in Waqf bodies?" party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav said.
Another Samajwadi Party MP Mohibbullah said, "This is injustice to Muslims. "We are going to commit a huge mistake, we will suffer because of this Bill for centuries. This is interference with religion."

Earlier, Mr Yadav had alleged that the BJP wants to sell of lands belonging to Waqf boards in the guise of amendments. "All these amendments of the 'Waqf Board' are just an excuse; Selling lands like defence, railway and Nazul land is the target," he said in a post on X. While Trinamool's Sudip Bandhyopadhyay said the legislation is against federalism, DMK's K Kanimozhi said it is against the minority community. "Will it be possible for Christian and Muslim to handle Hindu temples?" she asked.

Defending the legislation, Union Minister and leader of BJP ally JDU, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, said the Bill has been brought to make the functioning of Waqf boards transparent. Countering the Opposition's charge that the Bill is against minorities, he referred to the 1984 anti-Sik riots in the aftermath of the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. "Who killed thousands of Sikhs?" he asked.

Supriya Sule of NCP's Sharad Pawar faction said the government did not carry out detailed consultation before bringing the Bill to the House. "Please send this to the standing committee for better consultation. The timing is of concern. What happened suddenly in Waqf board that you have to bring the Bill," she asked.

ET Mohammed Basheer of the Indian Union Muslim League and K Radhakrishan of the CPM opposed the Bill too.

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the legislation, calling it discriminatory and a grave attack on the basic structure of the Constitution, as it violates judicial independence. "The Government has sought to severely restrict how Muslims can manage their Waqf property," he said.

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government had to bring amendments because previous Congress governments could not address issues in the law. "Because you couldn't do, we had to bring these amendments. We are elected representatives, support this bill and you will get blessings of crores of people. Some people have captured Waqf boards and this Bill has been brought to give justice to ordinary Muslims."

Mr Rijiju claimed that many leaders in the Opposition had privately told him that state waqf boards had turned into mafia. "I won't take their names and destroy their political careers," he said.