Jagdambika Pal, the Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, indignantly criticized AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for ripping a copy of the legislation in the Lok Sabha. Describing the act as an "assault on democracy," Pal stated that the public would "never forgive" such an action.
In an interview with IANS, Pal asserted, "Owaisi has torn the bill, and that is an unconstitutional act. Burning a bill brought by a democratically elected government is insulting the people of this country. No mention of Mahatma Gandhi can authorize such an action, and the country will not forget it. No one can ignore the will of the people."
Owaisi's dramatic gesture on Wednesday drew parallels with Mahatma Gandhi's resistance of South African apartheid laws. When he ripped up the bill in Parliament, he said, "Like Gandhi, I am tearing up this law."
Responding to Owaisi’s justification, Pal issued a sharp rebuke, stating, "The people will not forget this. Disagreeing with a bill is one thing, but tearing it apart is an outright attack on democracy. No one has the right to reject a law introduced by a government elected by the people."
He also stated that the bill would be tabled in the Rajya Sabha soon, and he was confident that it would get a positive result.
Why the Amendment Is Necessary
In support of the suggested amendments to the Waqf Act, Pal argued that the existing law confers undue power that exceeds constitutional provisions.
"The legislation has been around for decades. The Principal Act of 1995 and the 2013 amendment provided unbridled power that exceeded constitutional boundaries. In fact, the 2013 amendment by the UPA government contravened Article 300A, which assures the Right to Property," he said.
Pal reiterated that the amendment has been introduced to deliver justice to marginalised groups. "Tomorrow will be a milestone day for the nation's poor, pastoralists, women, widows, and children. The poor are given money from people's hard-earned funds to support the disadvantaged, but Waqf properties—India's third-largest landholding after the railways and the army—have not benefited them. For the first time, this bill aims to put things right and provide justice in the real constitutional spirit conceived by Babasaheb Ambedkar," he added.
Sachar Committee Report & Government's Initiatives
Citing the report of the Sachar Committee on the socio-economic status of Muslims, Pal said Muslim women's literacy rate is a mere 51.3% and only 6.9% of them opt for higher studies.
He claimed that even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been trying to improve the lot of the Muslim community, the opposition was continuing to level false allegations against the government.
Opposition Accused of Playing Vote Bank Politics
Targeting opposition leaders, Pal said, "It may be Akhilesh Yadav or Rahul Gandhi, their politics is all about taking Muslims as a vote bank. Their intention is to split the community for appeasement not empowerment. But today it's clear who wants to uplift them and who only wants to cheat them."
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