The Bill is set to amend the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948 which regulates the exploration and extraction of natural gas and petroleum.
Congress leader Rashid Alvi supports the All India Muslim Personal Law Board's protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024. He emphasized the right to peaceful protest and urged the government to address the protestors' concerns.
"All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) along with all religious and community based organizations, and justice-loving citizens across the country, will exercise their democratic and constitutional rights by staging a protest at Jantar Mantar," read a statement from the Law board.
Addressing a press conference here today, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, spokesperson of the AIMPLB, said that the government wants to create division between Hindus and Muslims and desires unrest in the country.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Sandeep Pathak said that the core idea of this bill is to make the Railway Board more flexible so that it can function more efficiently in management. However, he argued that the central government missed a golden opportunity to completely
Jairam Ramesh shared a trivia about how in 1913, the US Constitution was amended to introduce a federal income tax and the economist who championed for the same was a mentor of Dr B R Ambedkar.
The teachers, led by the National Teachers Federation (NTF), demanded further amendments to the bill, claiming it fails to address their concerns and is not justifiable in the current context.
Jairam Ramesh accused the committee of bypassing a clause-by-clause discussion and ignoring dissenting voices from opposition MPs and alleged that the Waqf Amendment Bill was "bulldozed" through the JPC.