Congress MP Imran Masood Strongly Protests in Parliament Over Waqf Bill
New Delhi, 3 February – In Parliament, there was a major uproar over the Waqf Bill on Monday (February 3). Congress MP from Saharanpur, Imran Masood, accused the government of having a bulldozer mentality. He stated that this is a democracy and everyone’s opinions should be valued. He emphasized that the bill violates Article 26 of the Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom and the rights to establish religious institutions and properties. He further argued that the government aims to strip away the rights of minorities, and the Waqf Bill is another example of this.
In response, the Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Bill, Jagdambika Pal, rejected all the opposition’s allegations. He said the opposition was running a separate agenda. He clarified that a 428-page report by the JPC had been prepared after gathering the views of all relevant parties.
Jagdambika Pal also pointed out that the opposition’s claim that the Waqf Bill would lead to the confiscation of all Waqf properties was baseless. He accused the opposition of indulging in appeasement of Muslims across the country. He stated that all relevant parties, including the Minority Commission, government officials, and Islamic scholars, had been consulted before finalizing the report, which was submitted to the Speaker.
However, Congress rejected these claims. Party MP Pramod Tiwari said that 44 amendments proposed by the opposition were rejected, while the government’s suggestions were included. He questioned whether the JPC was genuinely formed or if it was just a formality.
Samajwadi Party MP Virendra Singh also criticized the government, accusing the BJP of acting arbitrarily. He claimed that opposition members were suspended from the JPC, and the government imposed its own decisions.
