Patna (Bihar) [India], April 1 : Bihar's Janata Dal (United) MLC Ghulam Gaus on Monday strongly opposed the Waqf Amendment Bill, calling it an attack on religious matters and accusing the Centre of repeatedly targeting minorities with unfair policies.
Speaking to ANI, Gau said, "I was the first person to oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill. Ever since this central government has come, sometimes there is love jihad, CAA, mob lynching, triple talaq and now this. This is our religious matter...you (the Centre) did nothing to protect our rights."
"The scholarship given by the Maulana Azad Foundation was also stopped...unity in diversity is our speciality. I will definitely raise all these issues in front of him (CM Nitish Kumar)," he added.
Meanwhile on Monday, Congress MP and party's General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh called the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, "a direct attack on Constitution," vowing to protest against the implementation of the bill, and demanding that NDA allies Telegu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) clarify their stance on the issue.
"Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a direct attack on the constitution and against its foundation, it has been bulldozed through the JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee). If they implement it, we will we will oppose it democratically," Jairam Ramesh told ANI.
"Every opposition party opposes it, Samajwadi Party, TMC, AAP, everyone opposes it, but the question is what parties like JD(U) and TDP do? The parties who call themselves secular, who say they believe in it, what is their stand on it?" he added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said last week that the Waqf Amendment Bill will be tabled in the Budget session of Parliament. The Budget session is slated to conclude on April 4.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, also called the 'Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Bill' aims to address key challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.
The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments.