“This is an Insult to Muslims”: Asaduddin Owaisi Tears Waqf Amendment Bill in Protest
New Delhi, 3 Apri – (www.deccanlive.com): AIMIM President and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi strongly opposed the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha today. As a symbolic protest, he tore a copy of the bill, citing Mahatma Gandhi’s example from his time in South Africa.
While participating in the debate, Owaisi said, “If you study history, you will see that Mahatma Gandhi once said about South African laws, ‘My conscience does not accept this,’ and he tore them up. Like Gandhi, I am also tearing this bill because it is unconstitutional.”
He accused the BJP of trying to divide the country in the name of temples and mosques, and urged the government to accept 10 amendments to the bill. He warned that this law would deprive Muslims of their rights and called it an attack on their faith and religious practices.
Owaisi referred to Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law. He argued that Muslims would face restrictions on their Waqf properties, while illegal occupants could become owners overnight. He criticized the provision that allows a non-Muslim to make decisions about Waqf properties, calling it a clear violation of Article 14.
Owaisi also questioned the government’s reasoning behind the bill, reminding them of Home Minister Amit Shah’s earlier assurance that the Waqf Board and Council would not interfere in Muslim religious matters. He asked, “If that was true, then why was this law needed? You have created an illegal institution.”
