Burqa-clad women, and people holding roses and "thank you Modi ji" placards while beating dhol in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal were among a crowd of hundreds who came out in support of the Waqf Amendment Bill on Wednesday as the Centre tabled the contentious bill in the Lok Sabha, aiming to bring in major reforms in the laws regulating properties owned by the Waqf boards across the country.
Various Muslim communities in the city took out rallies backing the bill. Notably, a large number of Muslim women too participated in the demonstrations, holding posters that read "thank you, Modi Ji". They expressed their support by carrying placards and red roses as a gesture of gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Waqf Bill in Lok Sabha
The Waqf Amendment Bill was tabled by Union Minister Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and opened for an 8-hour-long debate before it would be taken up for voting.
The BJP-led NDA government aims to get the bill passed in the Lok Sabha on the same day before presenting it in the Rajya Sabha for approval on Thursday.
A procession was also taken out earlier in the day by the Muslim community in the Hathai Kheda Dam of Anandpura Kokta of the city. People hailed Prime Minister Modi for the Waqf bill. Their enthusiasm was evident as they celebrated with drum performances and fireworks.
While introducing the bill, Kiren Rijiju stated that the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) consultation process was the most extensive ever conducted by a parliamentary panel in India's democratic history.
He revealed that the JPC received over 97.27 lakh petitions and memorandums in both physical and online formats. Each submission was carefully reviewed before the final report was prepared.
The minister further noted that 284 delegations presented their views on the bill, along with Waqf boards from 25 states and Union Territories.
Additionally, legal experts, charitable organizations, academicians, and religious leaders also contributed their opinions on the proposed amendments.
