Opposition leaders hit out at government over proposed Waqf Board amendments

New Delhi [India], August 5 (ANI): Amid the reports that the central government is likely to bring a bill to curb the powers of the Waqf Board over assets, opposition leaders hit out at the government.

CPI General Secretary D Raja accused the BJP of snatching the properties of the Waqf board and said that the constitution is being tampered with in all possible ways by BJP-RSS

He said “The media reports in the public domain on the issue of amendments to the Waqf Board Act have already created strong apprehensions in the minds of minorities, particularly the Muslims. People started foreseeing a sinister design of carrying out the BJP-RSS agenda of putting an end to Waqf and snatching away the Waqf properties and there is no proper public debate in the country”.

” The BJP-RSS is trying to take measures one after another like this. Already HM Amit Shah has been justifying the 3 criminal laws and there is a country-wide protest against those 3 criminal laws. Now, these amendments to the Waqf Board are being proposed and there is no public debate and no debate inside or outside Parliament.

BJP-RSS tries to impose its sinister agenda on the people. It is going to be a grave threat to the secular, democratic fabric of our society and the Constitution. Already the Constitution is being tampered with in all possible ways by BJP-RSS” he added”.

Earlier, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari asked BJP to discuss the bill with its allies.

He said “Before presenting it in front of the opposition, the government should discuss it with their allies JDU, TDP…”

He also said that before any amendments the bills should be discussed with all the stakeholders

“If a new bill is being introduced then it should be discussed with all the stakeholders” he added.

Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan Congress leader & Former Waqf Minister alleged that the goverment wants to snatch the properties and Waqf board and distribute them among its friends

He said “There was an amendment of waqf board in 2003. A full proof waqf has been made. All the properties of waqf in the country are covered in this. The suggestion and objections should be taken for the proposed bill, government may distribute the waqf properties to its friends. There is a provision that the cases not resolved in the Waqf board will go to the Waqf tribunal, if the case is not solved there then the case can go to High courts and supreme courts”.

The amendments to the Waqf Board Act that are likely to restrict the power of the Waqf Board are likely to be introduced first in Rajya Sabha. Sources have told ANI that the Government could move to bring the amendments within this week. The budget session of the Parliament is concluding on August 12.

According to the sources, the government interacted and took suggestions from various Muslims intellectuals and organisations to introduce reforms before bringing amendments. 32-40 amendments are being considered in the Waqf Board Act.