Waqf to be passed today, will benefit Muslims: JPC chief
New Delhi: Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, has asserted that the bill will be passed in Parliament on Wednesday and will bring significant benefits to the Muslim community. He also accused the Opposition of dividing the public with baseless claims about the bill’s implications.
Speaking to IANS, Pal stated, “We have worked for six months, day and night, to present an elaborate report on this bill. The Opposition made several remarks regarding this, stating that it will be used to garner votes in the Bihar Assembly elections. However, despite all such baseless claims, the bill will be passed today.”
Emphasising the bill’s positive impact, he said, “This bill will benefit the poor, Pasmanda community, and other common Muslims, who have not received these benefits till now. Earlier, we used to hear that Waqf properties were sold out, but Waqf properties cannot be sold. This was done by the caretakers to reap the benefits illegally.”
Pal further criticised the previous amendments made during the Congress-led UPA government.
He said that the amendments made during the UPA tenure “gave more power to the Waqf to claim any property as their own,” which he called a breach of Article 14, Article 19, Article 21, and Article 300A of the Constitution.
“Today, we are correcting it. This bill is in accordance with the Constitution,” the JPC chief added.
Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, for opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill without fully understanding it, Pal said, “Does Rahul Gandhi know what is constitutional and unconstitutional? He should at least try to read this bill before terming it unconstitutional. When Kiren Rijiju has said that every question will be answered, then why doesn’t he discuss it instead of fighting?”
He further highlighted the government’s commitment to inclusive development, stating, “The Prime Minister and the government’s vision is ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.’ Today, whether it is the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the Rs 6000 under Kisan Samman Nidhi, or the Saugat-e-Modi scheme during Eid, all benefits have been provided to Muslims as well. The Opposition is only trying to create divisions.”