Party MPs will vote against Waqf Amendment Bill: CPI(M)

Thiruvananthapuram/Madurai: The CPI(M) on Wednesday announced its opposition to the Waqf Amendment Bill, proposed by the NDA government at the Centre and said the party MPs will vote against it in Parliament.

This stance comes amid protests from the Catholic Church, criticising MPs from Kerala for their position on the bill.

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan indicated the party's stand while speaking to media on the sidelines of the 24th party congress being held in Madurai, Tamil Nadu from April 2 to 6.

Govindan also brushed aside the stand taken by the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) on the issue, saying it will not affect the party's view on the matter.

"Let there be no doubt, we will take a stand against the Waqf Bill. We have already made our stand clear. We do not keep changing our stand based on what others are saying. We have a clear stand," he said.

Meanwhile, the BJP in Kerala will be holding marches to the residences of all INDIA bloc MPs in the state during the day in protest against their opposition to the Waqf Bill, the saffron party said in a statement.

Govindan's statement comes as the Waqf Bill is set to be tabled in the Parliament during the day by the central government.

He said that the legislation was not in favour of the Waqf. "Instead, it strongly opposes the Waqf".

He claimed that some forces were attempting to create conflict between various communities.

The Church-run daily Deepika, in its editorial a day ago, had described the Waqf amendment bill as a crucial test of secularism in Parliament and cautioned MPs from the state that failing to support it would mark them in history as endorsing religious fundamentalism.

The paper has added that it will also put an end to the injustices faced by thousands of Hindu, Christian, and Muslim citizens who have suffered due to the Waqf law.

Opposition parties are strongly opposed to the bill, slamming it as "unconstitutional" and against the interest of the Muslim community. Several leading Muslim organisations have been rallying support against the bill, which was scrutinised by a Joint Committee of Parliament and approved with several amendments.