"This is targeted legislation": Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on Waqf Amendment Bill

New Delhi [India], April 2 (ANI): The Waqf (Amendment) Bill will be tabled today amidst growing political tension, as opposition parties, including the Congress-led INDIA alliance, prepare to challenge its provisions.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on Wednesday said that the bill is a "targeted legislation" and fundamentally against the constitution.
"In the introduction stage itself, the INDIA alliance and all like-minded parties had a clear-cut stand on it. This bill is a targeted legislation and is fundamentally against the Constitutional provisions. We are going to oppose this bill... This is what has been decided unanimously by the INDIA alliance parties. We request other like-minded parties also to vote against this bill..." Venugopal stated.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Jagdambika Pal who was the Chairman of the JPC on the Waqf Ammendment bill on Wednesday said that the Bill, which is going to be tabled in the Parliament for passing, would benefit poor and Pasmanda (backward) Muslims.
Labelling it as a "historic day", Pal said that the hard work of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), which took stakeholders in several states in confidence, has paid off. He added that JPC meetings were held and opposition was heard for eight hours every day.
"Our hard work has paid off...The government is coming with the bill in an amended form today. This is definitely a historic day. Today, with the passing of this bill, the poor and Pasmanda Muslims are going to benefit...We have conducted the JPC meetings in the last six months. We have heard them (opposition) 8 hours every day," Pal, Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) chairman for the Waqf Amendment Bill, told ANI.
Speaking on the opposition to the bill, the BJP MP accused the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) of "politicising" the issue.
"Whether it is our opposition or the All India Muslim Personal Law Board appealing to wear black bands in Mosques during the prayer on Ramzan, they are politicising the issue," he said.
BJP leader Mohsin Raza on Wednesday expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Waqf Amendment Bill is set to be moved in the Parliament, saying that passing of the amendments to Waqf Act would be the biggest "Eidi" for marginalised Muslims.
As the parliament is set to convene again today, the legislative business suggests that Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will move the Waqf Amendment Bill of 2025, which aims to amend the Waqf Act of 1995, for passing.
With the parties in the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the Opposition INDIA bloc showing no signs of bipartisan consensus building, the outcomes may be decided on the majority numbers on the floor.
The bill will be tabled after today's Question Hour for consideration and passing. Following that, an 8-hour discussion will be held, subject to an increase.
The bill was presented in the Lok Sabha in August of last year, following which a Joint Parliamentary Committee was formed under Jagdambika Pal's leadership for further consideration.
The bill aims to amend the Waqf Act of 1995 to redress the issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties.
The Amendment Bill seeks to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous Act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards by introducing changes such as renaming the Act, updating the definitions of Waqf, improving the registration process, and increasing the role of technology in managing Waqf records.
The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. (ANI)