Waqf Act Amendment Bill: Today is the day for the central government to introduce the Waqf Act Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha for approvals. It is supposedly an act that would amend the Waqf Act of 1995, with a view to repeal the Muslim Waqf Act of 1923, but has been producing ripples in the political waters, making the last round of legislative sessions boiling hot.
Introduction of the Waqf Act Amendment Bill
“The Waqf Act Amendment Bill, 2024, posed as one of the contentious bills and supposed to be introduced in the house by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has certain heavy provisions like repealing the Muslim Waqf Act, 1923 which governed the administration of Waqf properties for nearly a century. The news agency ANI has confirmed the introduction of this bill and it has been said that the bill will be a central topic in the parliament today.
The opposition parties are joining hands in anger against the bill. One of the constituents of the ‘India Alliance,’ the Samajwadi Party, is vociferously opposing the Waqf Amendment Bill. The top leadership of the SP has criticized the Bill as a tool of political machinations rather than an effort at reform.
Congress Criticizes Bill Introduction
The Congress leader said, “This is against our culture of debate.” The appendages included the Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena of the Uddhav-Balasaheb faction. The Congress party has also raised its voice in strong dissension just like the other parties. Congress leader, Manickam Tagore, accused the government of using the bill to divert the assembly from burning issues. He demanded the bill be sent to the Standing Committee for detailed scrutiny. Senior Congress leader K. Suresh, for his part, also agitated and argued that it was the bill’s rollout that was politically motivated and not a well-considered legislative proposal.
Urging Thorough Review
The argument being advanced is that the bill has been dealt with in a hurry and that Muslim organizations and other stakeholders have not been duly consulted. Questions have been raised by Shiv Sena (Uddhav-Balasaheb faction) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi regarding whether the bill was discussed internally by the NDA and whether all its constituents, including the JDU and TDP, were duly consulted.
Political Implications and Reactions
Precisely, the exact modality of scrutinizing the timing and the context regarding the introduction of the Waqf Act Amendment Bill comes to the limelight. The opposition criticized the government for only using the bill as a tool of political rhetoric-more importantly just before the poll. They have said that the quick and easy process of running the bill through Parliament-without much discussion and taking into account any opinion from the communities it covers-has been done to create a flavor of polarization rather than legislating reform.
