Historic moment vs black day: Waqf Bill evokes mixed reactions from Parliamentarians

New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) As the Waqf (Amendment) Bill awaits the Rajya Sabha Test after easy sailing through the Lok Sabha, several Parliamentarians elicited their views on the contentious bill.

The ruling party MPs welcomed the Bill and termed the moment ‘historic’ while those from the Opposition slammed the government for ‘betraying’ the minority community.

Kangana Ranaut told IANS that the passage of the Waqf Bill is a historic moment and it will pave the way for better governance of its properties.

“This is a historic day and has been made possible because of the Modi government. The amendments in the Bill will bring transparency and facilitate better governance in the management of Waqf properties, and if there is any irregularity, the corrupt would be held accountable and brought to book. Prior to this, there was no such mechanism and hence they remained in utter despair,” said the BJP MP from Mandi.

Manoj Tiwari, BJP MP from Delhi, slammed Congress and Sonia Gandhi’s opposition to the Bill and said, “For the grand old party, it may be a black day but for the nation, it is a day of celebration.”

Rejecting Congress’s charges of government bulldozing the Bill in Parliament, he said that those who themselves don’t believe in democracy think in this manner.

“Congress itself has no democracy in the party, how would they support such a Bill?” he said in a derisive tone.

He claimed that many Congress members are known to be benefiting from the Waqf properties and added, “This is a day of happiness for everyone, a sad day for those who are benefitting from Waqf Board properties.”

Lashing out at naysayers, he said that those who are protesting against Waqf are the same people drawing benefits from Waqf properties.

Congress MP Tariq Anwar termed the passage of the Waqf Bill as a black chapter in democracy.

“This is a black day in the history of democracy because the Waqf Bill will snatch the rights of the Muslim community. The government is arm-twisting the community to garner its support. It brought the Bill pertaining to the Muslim community but never reached out to take them into confidence,” he said.

LJP MP Sambhavi Chaudhary said, “As against claims of indecision, the Modi government is firmly positioned and focused on its path of Viksit Bharat. Waqf Bill was passed in Lok Sabha with a clear majority and will also clear the Rajya Sabha test.”

--IANS

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