Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday flayed the NDA government over its plan to amend the law governing Waqf boards, saying the move shows that it’s against minorities. The Bill has proposed far-reaching changes in the present Act, including ensuring the representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims in such bodies.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill also seeks to rename the Waqf Act, 1995, as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.
“The NDA government is totally against the minorities in this country, they are not for secularism, they are not for social justice. We have been telling the people of the country that they are communal parties, they are casteists, that’s why they are doing like that,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here in response to a question.
The Bill, circulated among Lok Sabha members on Tuesday night, seeks to make significant changes to the existing act. Among the proposed amendments are measures to ensure the representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims in Waqf boards. Additionally, the Bill aims to establish a separate board for the Bohras and Aghakhanis.
According to the Bill’s statement of objects and reasons, it aims to provide a more inclusive composition of the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards. Critics, however, argue that the proposed legislation undermines the rights of minorities and disrupts the principles of secularism and social justice in India.
