JD(U) supported Waqf Bill after its suggestions were included: party spokesperson Anjum Ara

Patna (Bihar) [India], April 5 (ANI): JD(U) leader Anjum Ara on Saturday said that her party supported the Waqf (Amendment) Bill only after its suggestions were accepted. Her explanation came amid the resignations in the party after its MPs voted in favour of the Bill in both the Houses of the Parliament.
"JDU had presented five suggestions, or one can call them conditions, all of which were accepted in the Waqf Amendment Bill," Anjum Ara said in a press conference here.
The JD(U)'s five suggestions included not making the law retrospective.
"First- Land is a state matter, so this priority should be maintained in the laws as well... Second- This law should be effective in a prospective way, not in a retrospective way... Third- If any unregistered Waqf property has a religious institute established on it, then it will not be tampered with... Fourth- To resolve disputes related to Waqf properties, officers above the rank of District Magistrate should be authorised. Fifth- The time limit of 6 months given in the bill for registering Waqf Board properties on a digital portal should be extended... Only after these suggestions were accepted did we agree to the Waqf Amendment Bill," Ara said.
Recently, five JD(U) leaders resigned from the party after it supported the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Parliament.
Party leaders, including Nadeem Akhtar, Raju Nayyar, Tabrez Siddiqui Alig, Mohammad Shahnawaz Malik and Kasim Ansari, resigned from the JD(U).
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had urged all secular political parties, including BJP allies and MPs, to oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill.
The resignations come at a critical time for JD(U), as Bihar gears up for the assembly elections.
However, JD(U) National Spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad responded to the resignations on Saturday, stating that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is dedicated to the welfare of minorities and that his support for the Waqf Amendment Bill would not negatively impact the interests of Muslims.
Rajya Sabha sat beyond Thursday midnight to pass the legislation. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said, "Ayes 128 and Noes 95, Absent zero. The Bill is passed." Lok Sabha, which took up discussion on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday, passed it past midnight after a marathon debate with 288 MPs voted in favour of the Bill while 232 against it. (ANI)