Waqf Bill Row: Ahead of Assembly elections in Bihar, the political air in the state is heating up, and currently in the Centre is the Waqf bill brought by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government.
To oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has organised a protest which saw the presence of leaders across party lines including former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav.
On Wednesday, the Bihar assembly was adjourned till 2 pm, within minutes of the commencement of proceedings, as the opposition created a ruckus over the Waqf Bill. The House was plunged into turmoil as soon as proceedings began at 11 am, with members of the RJD-led opposition, who carried placards against the bill, storming into the well. Speaker Nand Kishor Yadav was seen urging the unruly members to return to their seats, even as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar looked on.
However, the opposition members continued to raise slogans demanding a rollback of the Bill and also “full implementation” of recommendations of the Sachar Committee, in which the poor socio-economic conditions of Muslims were highlighted. Some of the members also tried to overturn furniture meant for the reporting staff, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the House till 2 pm.
Meanwhile, Lalu Prasad Yadav the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav joined the protest against the Bill in Patna.
Azad Samaj Party President Chandrashekhar Azad, who also arrived in Patna to attend the protest, said that given the kind of situation in the country, he will come forward to protect the rights of all those who are being attacked.
“Understanding the kind of situation in the country today, whoever’s rights are attacked will come forward to protect them. And the section for which we do politics, the Bahujan Samaj, the weaker section, the Constitution has given the right to protest to stop the attack on their rights,” Azad told media persons.
Addressing the protestors, Tejashwi assured them that his party and its leader, Lalu Yadav, firmly stand with them in their fight against the “unconstitutional” Waqf (Amendment) Bill. “RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav has come here to support and strengthen you. We have opposed this unconstitutional, undemocratic bill in Parliament, Vidhan Sabha, and Vidhan Parishad. Today, we brought an adjournment motion and demanded a discussion on it, but the House was adjourned. We want to tell you that we stand with you on this issue… Our effort is that this bill should not be passed at any cost,” the RJD leader said. “We are followers of the Constitution, we believe in Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, and at any cost, we will try to stop this bill from being passed,” he added.
Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, the former Deputy CM said, “This government is working to divide the country, dismantle democracy, and weaken the Constitution. Some parties, out of greed for power, are supporting this bill. But if we fight unitedly, we will win.” All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) launched a nationwide protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Patna.
Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party MP and chairman of the JPC on the Waqf Amendment Bill, Jagadambika Pal, criticized AIMPLB for its nationwide agitation, accusing the board of politicizing the issue. The protest by AIMPLB comes at a time when the NDA-led Central government called a meeting of all Members of Parliament (MPs) to discuss the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 in detail.
The meeting will provide MPs with a one-hour briefing on the proposed amendments to the Waqf laws, scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Coordination Room No. 5 of the Parliament.
The government is keen on explaining the contents of the bill before presenting it to Parliament, amidst growing opposition. The Waqf Amendment Bill has sparked controversy across the nation, with many groups accusing the Central Government of acting against the interests of the Muslim community.
Various Muslim organizations, including the prominent Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, have raised objections, calling the bill anti-Muslim. They argue that the amendments could lead to the mismanagement of Waqf properties and undermine the autonomy of the Muslim community in managing its charitable endowments.
Bureau Report
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