New Delhi [India], April 1: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Nishikant Dubey expressed strong support for the Waqf Amendment Bill, describing it as “good” and urging its passage in Parliament. Dubey highlighted the historical significance of the bill, claiming it was first introduced by Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1911. He further emphasized the necessity of a unified law, criticizing Congress for creating divisions between Hindus and Muslims with separate laws for each community.
“In 1911, Jinnah Sahib introduced the Muslim Waqf Act, which was referred to as the Jinnah Act until 1954. The existence of separate laws for Hindus and Muslims has caused a division in the country. Congress has exploited the Muslim community for vote-bank politics,” Dubey said.
Referring to the parliamentary procedures, he mentioned that despite opposition attempts to disrupt the process, the Waqf Amendment Bill should be passed in Parliament. The bill is scheduled to be tabled on Wednesday, and the BJP issued a whip to all Lok Sabha MPs to attend Parliament on Tuesday.
The opposition, particularly the INDIA bloc, has voiced strong objections to the bill. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav criticized the BJP for engaging in “appeasement politics,” alleging that the party’s decisions were aimed at securing votes rather than addressing real issues like employment.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also opposed the bill, stating that his party would participate in the debate and propose amendments, arguing that the bill is unconstitutional and infringes upon Muslims’ right to freedom of religion.
Sources indicated that the opposition parties are set to meet later today to strategize their approach to the bill.