New Delhi [India], Marc 17 : Amid the ongoing protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, at Jantar Mantar, Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi on Monday slammed the central government for not paying heed to the objections raised by the opposition, saying that the government was "imposing dictatorship".
Extending support to the organisations carrying out "democratic" protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, he said that the government was trying to "impose dictatorship". The Congress leader asked whether the government intended to "loot" the lands that belonged to Waqf and pass it on to their industrialist friends.
"The government has to understand that there is a lot of opposition. It's good that organisations are protesting democratically against the dictatorship that the government is trying to impose. Do they want to loot the Waqf lands and give it to your industrialist friends?" Pratapgarhi remarked.
Asserting that the central government doesn't listen to the opposition, he said that this is the government that passed many bills after suspending 146 MPs earlier. Questioning the need to form a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill if the government remains adamant on its stand, Pratapgarhi accused the government of "lying".
"What objections has this government heard? They suspended 146 MPs and passed many bills. Why did they form a JPC if they were not going to listen to the opinions of the JPC members? The government is lying," he added.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Rajeev Rai said that it was the responsibility of the government to listen to protestors.
"Everyone has the right to protest democratically if they do not like what they want and if there is injustice. It is also the responsibility of the government to listen to them with an open mind and open heart," Rai told ANI.
BJP MP Jagdambika Pal attacked the All India Muslim Personal Law Board's (AIMPLB) protest, saying that the protest was just for politics and the act had not even been introduced. He added that a report had only been submitted and the amendment bill had only been brought.
Pal also questioned the grounds on which the AIMPLB, AIMIM, and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind have gathered to protest at the Jantar Mantar.
Earlier, the AIMPLB began their protest at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and it was led by member Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas. He stated that it was a peaceful protest and the administration should cooperate with them. He said that the government should not be afraid and listen to the voice of its people.
"People were coming from many districts of UP and Haryana but now we have received information that their buses are being stopped. We believe that this is a very peaceful protest and the administration should support us in this. The government need not be afraid and they should listen to the voice of the people. If there is such a cowardly government that cannot listen to the voice of its people then it has no right to rule", Ilyas said while addressing the protestors.
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi joined the protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Owaisi who was part of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf bill has alleged that the ruling party's amendments in the JPC report will lead to the dissolution of the Waqf Board.