Centre wants to set 'Hindu-Muslim' narrative via Waqf amendments: Sena (UBT) MP

Mumbai: The Centre's intentions to amend the Waqf Act are not good and it wants to set a "Hindu-Muslim narrative" in the country through it, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant has claimed.

In an interview to PTI, Sawant, who was a member of the Joint Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill, also accused the parliamentary panel chief, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, of adopting "deceptive practices" and not holding a clause-by-clause discussion on the proposed law as mentioned in its agenda.

He also dubbed the functioning of the panel dictatorial.

The bill aims to streamline the registration of Waqf properties, besides preventing their misuse. The bill is likely to come up before Parliament during the second part of the session -- scheduled to be held from March 10 to April 4.

The 10 opposition members in the panel of 31 were suspended in January following a ruckus over scheduling of the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill.

That itself shows the dictatorial functioning of the panel's chairman who was being guided by BJP leaders to conduct the business of the committee, Sawant alleged.

"The intentions of the government are not good. They want to set a narrative in this country and they are doing it consistently and making a fool of the people," the former Union minister claimed.

"The government is trying to set a Hindu-Muslim narrative and that it is here to protect the Hindus. You protect the interests of Hindus. We too are doing that. To protect the interest of Hindus does not mean (one has) to create hatred (towards) other people," Sawant said.

The Waqf bill is likely to come up before Parliament during the second half of the Budget Session after the Union Cabinet approved the amendments proposed by the joint committee of Parliament.

During its meeting on February 19, the cabinet is learnt to have given its nod to 14 amendments proposed by the panel examining the bill.

The report of the panel, headed by Jagdambika Pal, was tabled in Parliament on February 13 amid uproar and a walkout by the opposition parties.

Sawant said the opposition will vehemently oppose the bill when it is introduced in Parliament.

He claimed the panel did not give any respect to issues raised by the opposition. It wanted the dissent note given by the opposition to be part of the report. Nobody knows if it is a part of the whole thing or not, the Sena (UBT) leader said.

Delving into concerns raised by the opposition, Sawant claimed the panel invited stakeholders but they included people belonging to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and (its affiliate) Vanvasi Ashram.

"They were invited as stakeholders just to oppose the fact that they (the Waqf board) have hectares of land belonging to them. These are illusions created by the BJP," Sawant charged.

He claimed that while the government talks about a Uniform Civil Code, it wants two non-Muslims on the Waqf board, plus some additional officers will be there.

Earlier, the board used to conduct elections and people from the Muslim community got representation on the Waqf board.

Now, the government has decided not to conduct elections and it will nominate members to the board, Sawant said.

"It may happen that majority of the members could be non-Muslims. Are you giving justice to minorities? Justice is justice either for minority or majority," Sawant said.

"I have sheer apprehensions in my mind over what will happen to my Hindu temples," he added.

The Hindu Endowment Act exists right now, he said.

Take for example, the Pandharpur and Varanasi temples in which it is categorically mentioned that nobody other than Hindus will be there (on their managing committees), the Mumbai South MP claimed.

"When you talk about a common civil code, they (Muslim community) will say what is in the Waqf (bill) should also be applicable to Hindu temples. We will not tolerate that. We do not want anyone other than Hindus on temples' managing committees," Sawant said.

As per the existing provisions, the survey commissioner is to conduct a survey in case of a dispute, he said.

"They have replaced the survey commissioner with the (district) collector. But the collector represents the revenue department, the land belongs to the revenue department," Sawant said.

So the complainant as well as the judge under the proposed provisions is the government, he claimed.

The panel's 655-page report was submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on January 30.

The joint committee of Parliament had adopted the report that contained changes suggested by members from the ruling BJP by a majority vote of 15-11. The move prompted the opposition to dub the exercise an attempt to destroy Waqf boards.

The bill was referred to the joint committee of Parliament on August 8 last year, following its introduction in the Lok Sabha by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.