Waqf Bill another assault on Constitution: Cong
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi: As the Narendra Modi government is preparing to bring the Bill to make sweeping changes to the Waqf laws, the Congress on Sunday dubbed the legislation as “an assault on the Constitution of India itself”.
Congress MP and communication-in-charge Jairam Ramesh said the Bill “is part of the ruling BJP’s strategy and continuing attempts to damage the centuries-old bonds of social harmony in our uniquely multi-religious society.”
On February 27, the Union Cabinet had cleared the amended Waqf Bill along with all 14 changes proposed by the Joint Committee of Parliament.
In a statement, Ramesh said that the Bill is an attempt to “demonise minority communities by spreading false propaganda and creating prejudices” and “dilute Constitutional provisions that guarantee equal rights and protections to all citizens, regardless of religion”.
“(It is an attempt) to defame traditions and institutions of minority communities to keep our society in a state of permanent polarization for electoral gains,” said the statement. It listed five reasons to claim that the Bill is “flawed”.
“All the institutions created by previous laws to administer waqfs (national council, state boards and tribunals) are actively sought to be reduced in stature, composition and authority so as to deliberately deprive the community the right to administer its own religious traditions and affairs,” said the statement.
It said that “deliberate ambiguity has been introduced for determining who can donate their land for waqf purposes thus altering the very definition of waqf itself.”
“The waqf-by-user concept developed by the nation’s judiciary on the basis of long, continued and uninterrupted customary usage is being abolished,” said the statement.
It further said that 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,” said the statement.