"Neither policy nor intention to deal with major issues of country": SP's Awadesh Prasad slams BJP over Waqf Bill

New Delhi [India], March 24 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Awadhesh Prasad attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and said that the BJP and its government have neither policy nor any intention to deal with the major issues of the country.
"The BJP and its government have neither any policy nor any intention to deal with the major issues of the country. To prevent people from discussing important issues like Manipur, they are saying baseless things which hold no meaning today. Without knowledge, these baseless statements are against the unity of our country. The protest against the Waqf Bill has not ended yet. Their intention behind bringing this bill is not good," said Awadhesh Prasad.
Earlier on Sunday, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale adopted a wait-and-watch approach regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024.
He acknowledged that the government has formed a commission for Waqf and expressed willingness to see the outcome.
"The government has formed a commission for Waqf. We will see what they come up with. Whatever has happened till now has happened in the right direction... We will see what happens further...," Hosabale told reporters here on Sunday.
It's worth noting that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 has been a topic of discussion, with some viewing it as an attempt to bring transparency and accountability to Waqf boards. Others have raised concerns about the potential implications of the bill on the Muslim community.
Responding to this, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Sunday also lashed out at the BJP, saying that it is the party's continuous attempt to damage bonds of social harmony. He added that it is BJP's strategy to "demonise" minority communities by "spreading false propaganda."
Ramesh further highlighted the "flaws" of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, noting that it "deliberately deprives" the community of the right to administer its religious traditions and affairs.
"The Waqf-by-user concept developed by the nation's judiciary based on long, continued and uninterrupted customary usage is being abolished. Provisions in the existing law are being removed without any reason just to weaken the administration of the waqf. Enhanced defences are now being introduced in the law to protect those who have encroached on waqf lands," Ramesh said in the statement.
The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to address these challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. (ANI)