Waqf Bill brought for diverting people's attention from Centre's failures: Akhilesh Yadav

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 14 (ANI): Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday alleged that the Centre brought the Waqf (Amendment) Bill to divert the people's attention from this year's Budget that was "disappointing and frustrating."
"The Budget which did not provide jobs, did not double the income of farmers, did not increase trade... that budget was disappointing and frustrating," Akhilesh Yadav told reporters here.
"This government has cheated... and has deliberately brought such a bill (Waqf (Amendment) Bill) to divert the attention of the public," he added.
The Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC) report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was tabled in Parliament on Thursday amid uproar.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni presented the report in the Rajya Sabha. She also tabled a copy of the record of evidence given before the panel.
JPC chairman and BJP MP Jagadambika Pal tabled the report in the Lok Sabha amid Opposition sloganeering against the report.
In the Rajya Sabha, Opposition MPs alleged that dissent notes submitted by the Opposition members were not included in the panel's report. Union Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, however, rejected the allegation.
When asked about the imposition of President's Rule in Manipur, the SP chief said, , "This should have happened long ago."
President Droupadi Murmu imposed President's Rule in Manipur on Thursday after receiving a report from the state governor.
The move comes days after N. Biren Singh resigned from his position as the Chief Minister of Manipur on February 9. His resignation came amid violence and political instability that had plagued the state for nearly two years.
The imposition of the President's Rule can last up to six months, subject to parliamentary approval. During this period, the central government will oversee governance, and fresh elections may be called to elect a new assembly.
The unrest in Manipur primarily involved clashes between the majority Meitei community and the minority Kuki-Zomi tribes. Tensions escalated over disputes related to economic benefits, job quotas, and land rights. The violence resulted in hundreds of fatalities and displaced approximately 60,000 individuals. (ANI)