Ahead of the presentation of the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 in Parliament, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav strongly criticized the BJP, accusing the party of advancing schemes that benefit its members. On Thursday, taking to X (formerly Twitter) Yadav lashed out at the ruling party, calling the proposed bill "another link in the chain of schemes for the benefit of BJP members."
"Waqf Board lands are just another link in the chain of 'schemes for the benefit of BJP members' after defence land, railway land, and Nazul land. Why doesn't BJP openly write: Issued in the interest of BJP members," Yadav remarked, questioning the BJP's intentions behind the bill.
He further also demanded a written guarantee that Waqf Board lands would not be sold. "BJP is working like a real estate company. It should change its name by writing ‘Zameen’ in place of ‘Janata’: Bhartiya Zameen Party," he added.
Significantly, the SP chief's comments come amid the Opposition's growing demand that the bill be sent to Parliament's standing committee for scrutiny after its introduction. However, at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee, which includes members from major parties, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju earlier stated that the government would decide on Thursday whether to send the bill for parliamentary scrutiny.
What is the Waqf (Amendment) Bill?
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill seeks to amend the current law governing waqf boards, proposing significant changes to the Waqf Act of 1995. Key provisions include ensuring the representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims in waqf bodies and renaming the Act as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act, 1995.
The Bill aims to omit Section 40 of the existing law, which relates to the Board's power to determine if a property is waqf property. It also proposes a broad-based composition of the Central Waqf Council and the State Waqf Boards, ensuring the inclusion of Muslim women and non-Muslims.
Additionally, the Bill proposes the establishment of a separate board of Auqaf for the Bohras and Aghakhanis, with provisions for the representation of Shias, Sunnis, Bohras, Aghakhanis, and other backward classes among Muslim communities.
(With inputs from PTI)
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