Waqf Amendment Bill brought for benefit of poor Muslims: Sudhanshu Trivedi in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Thursday said the Waqf Amendment Bill has been brought for the benefit of poor Muslims and attacked opposition parties for appeasement politics.

Participating in a discussion on the Bill in Rajya Sabha, Trivedi said the government is supporting the poor Muslims who will feel obliged for the favour in times to come.

"This fight is between Sharafat Ali and Shararat Khan. Our government is standing with Sharafat Ali and we are with poor Muslims," Trivedi said.

"Our government has supported the poor Muslims and not so called fanatic and fundamentalist thekedars (leaders) in this fight," he added.

Accusing the Congress of indulging in appeasement politics, Trivedi said the Congress always weighs its option on which minority to support based on their vote bank strength and cited the objections raised by the Catholic church against the Muslim bodies over land disputes.

He also wondered how land claims of Waqf board have been legitimised during the previous regimes when the British had taken over all the land that once belonged to the Mughals. He questioned why the lands of Sikhs and Hindus were not retrieved in the same way as it was done for Muslims.

Trivedi lamented that the community which was once known by noted singers, lyricists and musicians is today eulogising those speak against the country.

"Jab azadi mili toh Muslim samaj ke prateek kaun the, Bismillah Khan, Ustad Fariduddin Dagar, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Hasrat Jaipuri, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Kaifi Azmi, Sahir Ludhianvi and Jigar Muradabadi. Ab kya ho gaya.

"Tub Muslim samaj in 'adab-ke-sahagaron' ke saath joda jaata tha, aaj Muslim samaj ka netritva kin logon ke saath jodta hai -- Israt Jahaan, Yakub Menon, Mukhtar Ansari, Atiq Ahmed, Dawood Ibrahim. Kaun jod raha hai yeh, tubse sir jabse ye secular ho gaya desh...1976 se. Aur secular siyasat shuru hui," Trivedi said.

"(When we got Independence, who were the symbols of Muslim community - Ustad Bismillah Khan, Ustad Fariduddin Dagar, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Hasrat Jaipuri, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Kaifi Aazmi, Sahir Ludhianvi, and Jigar Muradabadi. What has happened now.) "(At that time, the Muslim community was associated with such eminent people. Now the Muslim community is associated with leaders like Ishrat Jahan, Yakub Memon, Mukhtar Ansari, Atiq Ahmed, Dawood Ibrahim. Who is connecting them. Since the time this country became 'secular' in 1976 and secular politics started)." This was strongly objected to by several opposition members including Fauzia Khan of NCP-SCP as well as Jairam Ramesh and Digvijay Singh of Congress besides MDMD leader Vaiko.

Khan demanded that Trivedi's remarks should be expunged as the entire community cannot be labelled and its image tarnished by associating them with such people.

The Chair, however, supported Trivedi saying that one should view it in the spirit of the sentiment he was speaking with.

Home Minister Amit Shah also supported Trivedi.

Ramesh of Congress, however, objected, saying that the Chair cannot ignore such remarks. Trivedi, however, urged everyone to move together and support the passage of this progressive Bill.

Trivedi said, "...We have called this Bill 'UMEED' but some people dreamt of 'UMAH'. 'UMAH' means an entire Islamic nation. People who wanted 'UMEED' are seeing the ray of hope, however, those who wanted ‘UMAH’ can be seen disappointed.” MoS for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale, said the Bill is a transformative legislation.

"The Bill will bring together Hindus, Muslims, Buddhist and Chiristians," Athawale asserted.

He further said when Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, he did many reforms.

"You (Congress) garnered votes of Muslims in Lok Sabha elections. Now we are getting votes of Muslims. After the Bill is passed, Muslim voters would come to our side. All minorities will come with us," the minister said.

He asserted that Modi will become Prime Minister for the fourth time also.