Content & Intent of Waqf Amendment Bill puts a question mark on govt: Manoj Jha

New Delhi: The content and intent of the Waqf Amendment Bill puts a question mark on the government, said RJD Member Manoj Jha in Rajya Sabha, asking it to not hurry with the bill and send it to the select committee of Parliament once again.

Participating in the debate on the bill, Jha alleged that it is like "dog whistle politics" to alienate the Muslims from the mainstream.

Referring to recent incidents, Jha said from time to time, there are talks about economic boycotts, searching of some objects inside old mosques and attacks on places of worship, which are scaring the community, which is on the margins constantly.

"In such kind of environment, the content and intent of your bill raises questions," he said.

Taking a dig at the ruling party, Jha said, "Majority (of a party) in the House (parliament) is not a wisdom mark and all of us have come here after being elected by someone.

Jha said Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians of this country are used to living with each other peacefully, and the government should not attempt to change it.

Over the provision of nomination of non-Muslims on Waqf in the bill, Jha said he will appreciate and praise if in all religious institutions, there are provisions of such representation from other religions.

"If you have put this in the Islamic community, then put this in Hindu, Sikh, Christian also... Or you have decided that all such experiments would be with the Muslim Community. This is not fair," he said.

He also raised the power delegated to the district magistrates under the bill and said the government has done so in previous bills also.

"DMs have become a tractor now," said Jha.

He further said the government has provisions for pasmanda musalman (weaker section), and if they really care for the weaker section, then why are caste censuses not happening? "You are ensuring institutional absence of Muslims," he said, adding that the Muslims of the country are indebted to this soil.

"Do not hurry up … unless everything will fall apart... Send this again for consultation and reduce the executive interference in this. You are going from elected to nominated (members)", Jha said.

Participating in the debate, John Brittas of CPI (M) said the bill is a summary assault.

This "attacks the basic tenets of India’s constitution, where it is secularism, where it is democracy, and equality. There is a cardinal violation happening. They have already discriminated against people by segregating them. They are now segregating God from God. Hindu God from Allah," he said.

At a stroke, they have made a non-Muslim administrative body.

"If you take 23 members of the Waqf council, 13 members could be non-Muslims," said Brittas.

He further said that instead of preventing of alienation of Waqf properties, they are trying to facilitate the alienation of Waqf properties, which is the essence of the bill.

"If they have belief and trust in the Indian constitution, they should withdraw this bill, a piece of legislation. If they want communal harmony and consider people to be equal and Gods to be equal, then withdraw this bill," he said.

Y V Subba Reddy of YSRCP opposed the bill, saying this is unconstitutional.

This bill specifically targets minorities, interfering with their religious property management. which is a violation of Article 14 of the Indian Constitution. Moreover, it is also against Article 25 which guarantees the right to freely profess, practise and propagate religion and this bill infringes their right.

Muzibulla Khan of BJD said Muslims in this country are tense because a non-Muslim would be kept for the management under this bill.

The Government in 2014 had promised 'sabka sath sbka viswas (Everyone's support, everyone's trust) but there is fear among Muslims.

"Why is there fear in the hearts of Muslims?" he asked while suggesting the government should resolve it.

He also demanded that the provision under the bill for giving proof of practice of 5 years for donation should be removed.

DMK leader Tiruchi Siva said his party opposes the bill as it is legally flawed.

"I stand on the behalf of my party to oppose this bill ... we reject the bill in its entirety because it is legally flawed, constitutionally indefensible and morally reprehensible," he stated.

"Why is a certain community being targeted is our question?” Siva asked.

The intention of the government is malafide and deplorable, and the party is certain that the Supreme Court will strike the bill down, Siva said while participating in the discussion in Rajya Sabha.

"The government says its philosophy is sabka sath sbaka vikas, but they have a different policy for Muslims; it is exclusion, marginalisation and dispossession," Siva noted.

He said the bill further deepens alienation and insecurity in the minds of the Muslim community in the country.

"Again and again blows are being delivered on the secular thread of this country," he said.

AAP member Sanjay Singh stated that the bill is against the tenets of the Indian constitution.

He alleged that the government wants to control Muslim religious bodies through legislation.

Singh noted that after Muslims, the government will go after other religious bodies of Sikhs, Christians, Jains etc and hand them over to their 'friends'.