'Use Muslims As Vote Bank, Keep Them Poor': Rijiju Blasts Congress For Opposing Waqf Law
Minister Kiren Rijiju crticised Congress and other parties for opposing Waqf Law. He asserted the Modi government's stance of "appeasement to none, justice to all."
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned the Congress and other parties for opposing the new Waqf Bill. He said that unlike BJP, other parties treat Muslim Community as their vote bank. However, he added, Modi government believes in 'appeasement to none, justice to all".
Speaking to the PTI Video, Rijiju said Parliament's job is to make law and 'the Supreme Court can definitely interpret it in the right way." As the apex court has reserved the interim orders on three key issues after hearing both sides in the Waqf case, Rijiju said he will not make any preemptive statement as the matter is in the court.
'We are very confident that whatever we have done is as per law and as per the provisions and spirit of the Constitution. I am very confident that the role of Parliament will not be taken away," he told PTI.
Rijiju also commented on AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's dejection to the new Waqf law and said he is opposing it out of compulsion. 'The main problem is what I tell you. Some of these leaders, including the Congress party, have treated the Muslims as a vote bank. When you start taking and making a community as a vote bank, then you become irrational.
'Then you put them into one bracket, that good or bad doesn't matter, they will all be rhetorical," the minister added.
Union Minister further said those who are opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, are only trying to keep the Muslims poor and ensure that they remain as their vote bank.
'Our thinking is opposite to that. Ours is appeasement to none, justice to all," Rijiju said.
There are many within the Muslim community, lots of groups, women, children and backward communities who have not gotten any benefit out of the Waqf properties, the minister told PTI on Friday.
'So, India's Waqf properties you know very well are the highest number of Waqf properties in the world. More than 9,70,000 Waqf properties are there which must be put into use for the purpose for which those properties were created," Rijiju said.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act was passed by Parliament in April and subsequently came into force through a government notification.
While the BJP-led NDA had rallied in support of the Bill, the opposition INDIA bloc united in opposing it.
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