Opposition walkout excuse to avoid debate: Kiren Rijiju on Waqf bill showdown

The government has allocated eight hours for a discussion on the amended Waqf bill on Wednesday in the Lok Sabha, a session.

That is likely to be stormy amid strong pushback from the opposition and various Muslim organisations. A teaser of the probable showdown was seen on Tuesday after the opposition walked out of the business advisory committee (BAC) meeting chaired by the Speaker following a heated exchange over the time alloted for the Waqf bill debate.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, in an exclusive interview with India Today, said the walkout by the opposition was an excuse to avoid discussion on the bill, which will give the government a say in regulating waqf properties and settling disputes.

“We want a discussion on the Waqf bill, but the opposition is only resorting to fearmongering and trying to obstruct the legislation. The walkout by the opposition today was an excuse to avoid discussion. The Christian community is also supporting the bill,” Rijiju said.

The opposition, led by the Congress, has dubbed the bill unconstitutional and against the interest of the Muslim community.

With NDA allies on board, the government is likely to face no hiccups in getting the bill passed in the current Parliament session, which comes to an end on April 4.

The Waqf bill, which proposes to amend a decades-old law that governs properties worth crores donated by Muslims, was tabled in Parliament last year in August.

However, amid opposition protests, it was sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), chaired by BJP leader Jagdambika Pal, for consultation. The amended bill was approved by the Union Cabinet in February.