Resolution on Withdrawal of Waqf (Amendment) Bill Passed in West Bengal Assembly
News Mania Desk / Piyal Chatterjee / 4th December 2024
A resolution demanding the removal of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 from Parliament was carried by voice vote in the West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday, despite BJP legislators staging a walkout in opposition. The resolution, introduced by Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, stated that if the bill is passed, it will have an impact on the country’s Waqf administration, and that utmost prudence and due diligence are required before any such significant change is made to the present law.
BJP members walked out of the House during debate on the proposal.Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said the motion was a waste of the House’s valuable time because a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) had been constituted to investigate the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, and its term had just been extended until the last day of Parliament’s budget session in 2025.
Claiming that it was too early to comment on the bill until the JPC, which also includes opposition MPs including two from the Trinamool Congress, submitted its report, Adhikari stated in the House that the law was introduced for the benefit of Muslim women and children, particularly widows.
The BJP MLA alleged that the resolution was introduced with the intention of promoting vote bank politics. Speaking in support of the resolution, Chattopadhyay stated that the measure has provisions to change the membership of the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf boards, limiting Muslim representation to a bare minimum.
“Concerns have been raised that several provisions of the bill are perceived to be anti-people and draconian, which pose a serious threat to the fundamental rights of a particular religious community,” the resolution moved by the minister said.
He also asserted that the Union government has brought the “step towards legislation without any consultation with state governments and other stakeholders”.
However, Adhikari stated that the views of state legislators and Waqf boards were considered before the measure was submitted in Parliament. He maintained that the BJP-led NDA had the necessary number in Parliament to pass the bill and stated that, despite opposition parties’ objections, the measures on Triple Talaq, Article 370 abrogation, and the Citizenship Amendment Act were passed. The BJP representative further asserted that there was no interference with Muslim rights, and that the Centre intends to digitize Waqf properties for their benefit.
On Monday, during the two-day discussion on the resolution, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lambasted the BJP-led national government over the bill, accusing it of targeting Muslims. The TMC supremo also chastised the BJP for “silencing” opposition members during the bill’s JPC consideration.
