Pal dismisses protests against Waqf Bill as ‘misleading’ following Owaisi’s ‘unconstitutional’ remarks
New Delhi: Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), criticised the protests against the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill as a “pre-planned political strategy” to mislead minorities, while AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi slammed the Bill as “unconstitutional.”
Speaking on the ongoing demonstrations, Jagdambika Pal questioned the motive behind the protests.
“Why are they protesting when the government has not even introduced the amended Act yet? First, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board stages a protest at Jantar Mantar, then in Patna, and now in Vijayawada. This is a well-planned strategy to mislead minorities and Muslims across the country,” he said.
Pal argued that Waqf properties, meant for the welfare of the poor, women, children, and orphans, were being mismanaged and illegally sold by caretakers.
“The government is amending the law so that the maximum benefits of Waqf properties reach the poor. Yet, certain leaders like Imran Masood and Owaisi are misleading people. The Bill hasn’t even been introduced in Parliament yet, and they are already calling for protests, issuing threats, and trying to create another Shaheen Bagh-like situation,” he stated.
Pal also condemned the warnings from Opposition leaders, saying, “Threats like ‘Jagdambika Pal and his party will see the consequences’ are unacceptable. Parliament has the right to make laws, and such attempts to spread chaos and incite violence must be stopped.”
On the other hand, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi strongly opposed the Bill, calling it a direct attack on constitutional freedoms.
“This is an unconstitutional Bill. It violates Article 14 (Right to Equality), Article 25 (Freedom of Religion), and Article 26 (Freedom to manage religious affairs). That is why there are protests against it,” he asserted.