Latest news with #Waqf(Amendment)Act
Hindustan Times
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Operation Sindoor is not over yet: Amit Shah in Kolkata
Kolkata: Operation Sindoor is not yet over and anyone who dares to do anything will be given a befitting reply, Union home minister Amit Shah said in Kolkata on Saturday. Addressing an organisational meeting of theBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kolkata's Netaji Indoor stadium, Amit Shah also launched a scathing attack against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal and added that the BJP would form the government in the state in 2026. He also said that the violence, which erupted in Murshidabad district over the Waqf (Amendment) Act in April this year, was 'state-sponsored.' Earlier in the day, Shah inaugurated a new building of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Kolkata. 'When violence erupted in Murshidabad, the Union home ministry repeatedly requested the state to deploy the BSF. The state didn't. Central forces were deployed on the orders of the high court. A TMC leader was present at the spot to encourage the rioters. It was state-sponsored,' Shah said. 'Bengal was under the Communist regime for many years. Later Mamata didi came to power with her Ma Mati Manush slogan. Today she has turned the state into a hub of infiltration, corruption, crime against women, bomb blasts and atrocities against Hindus,' Shah said. He also said that even though poll-related violence has stopped across the country, in West Bengal, however, hundreds of BJP workers were killed during polls and in post-poll violence. 'Didi, your time has come to end. The BJP will form the government in 2026. Didi, if you have the courage, contest the elections without violence and rigging. The people of Bengal will not even allow you to retain the security deposit' 'Election in West Bengal doesn't just determine the future of the state. It is also linked to national security. Mamata Banerjee has opened the international borders for infiltrators. She is allowing infiltration to increase her vote bank so that later her nephew may remain in power. But this won't happen,' he added. The TMC, however, said that the party would return to power for the fourth time in a row with more than 250 seats. 'Shah is dreaming of BJP coming to power in West Bengal in 2026? What kind of illusionary dream is that? The TMC would return to power with more than 250 seats and Mamata Banerjee would again become the chief minister,' said Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, TMC MP. Shah also accused Banerjee of opposing Operation Sindoor and playing with the sentiments of women. 'When Modi came to Bengal after Operation Sindoor, she made a shoddy political comment to oppose Operation Sindoor. I want to tell her that she has played with the sentiments of millions of mothers and sisters across the country. The TMC, however, hit back saying that it is the Election Commission of India which conducts the election and if there is violence and rigging, it is a failure of the ECI.
India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
Mamata Banerjee opened borders to Bangladeshis, can't stop infiltration: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of facilitating infiltration from Bangladesh and prioritising her vote bank over national the Vijay Sankalp Karyakarta Sammelan during his two-day visit to the state, Shah said, "Mamata Banerjee has opened the nation's borders for Bangladeshis. She is allowing infiltration. Mamata Banerjee cannot stop infiltration; only a Lotus government can do that. We have asked her for land to create the fence. She is not providing land at the borders, so that infiltration continues, and her vote bank keeps increasing, and her nephew becomes the Chief Minister after her. But this is not going to happen."advertisementSounding the poll bugle in West Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, Shah said the elections in the state will not only determine the future of Bengal but also have implications for national security. He further criticised Mamata Banerjee for opposing the Centre's Operation Sindoor, under which nine terror camps and subsequently military bases were targeted in Pakistan in response to the April 22 Pahalgam carnage."Mamata Banerjee may favour the Pakistani terrorists as much as she wants, but I want to tell her that this is PM Modi's government and Operation Sindoor is not yet over. Anyone who dares anything will be given a proper answer," Shah to the recent violence in Murshidabad, Shah accused the state government of failing to protect the Hindu community. "Our Home Ministry repeatedly asked to call the BSF, but they did not. Then our workers approached the High Court, and following the court's order, the BSF arrived and worked to protect the Hindus. Mamata Banerjee's minister abused the BSF, and the party's leaders were standing there and encouraging the rioters. The ministers of the Bengal government were involved in these riots. This was a state-sponsored riot which caused injustice to the Hindus," he Murshidabad violence refers to a series of violent incidents that broke out in April in the Murshidabad district following protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The unrest led to multiple deaths, injuries, and widespread damage to public and private also questioned Mamata Banerjee's stance on the Waqf Act. "Is something wrong with the Waqf Act? Should the land of Bengal be sacrificed because of Waqf? Who is Mamata Banerjee favouring by opposing the Waqf Act? Mamata Banerjee may oppose the Waqf till 2026 because after that she will not be the CM any more," he Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, was passed by both Houses of Parliament following extended heated debates. It received presidential assent from President Droupadi Murmu on April 5 and was officially notified, coming into effect on April of Shah's visit, the BJP's West Bengal unit president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said, "After the PM's visit, the CM was rattled. She is demanding an early election. I think she is tired, and she feels that if the early elections are held, she will be relieved from the post sooner. People of Bengal must understand that if the BJP government doesn't come to power, incidents like Murshidabad will continue to happen. Mamata Banerjee has demeaned the women of West Bengal, and they will respond to her in the coming election."advertisementMajumdar added that Shah's meetings with mandal presidents and senior leaders would galvanise the party's grassroots efforts and mark the beginning of the party's mission for the 2026 elections, which he described as "Operation Bengal" to "uphold the honour of Bengal's women."The Trinamool Congress, on the other hand, accused the BJP of using Operation Sindoor for political gain. TMC minister Sashi Panja dismissed BJP leaders as "seasonal visitors" who lack genuine commitment to the people of Bengal. She said the BJP's insensitivity towards women's issues would prevent them from gaining support in the Watch
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
PM Modi slams ‘ruthless' Mamata Banerjee government over Murshidabad violence, alleges appeasement
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday targeted the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal over the recent violence in Murshidabad and Malda, alleging that hooligans were given a free hand in the name of appeasement and the police were reduced to mere spectators. "Whatever happened in Murshidabad and Malda was an example of the government's ruthlessness here... In the name of appeasement, hooliganism was given a free hand. Imagine the horrific situation when the people of a party running the government identify and burn people's houses, and the police act as mere spectators,' Modi said, addressing a rally in West Bengal's Alipurduar. "I ask the poor people of Bengal, is this how a government runs?... Here, the court has to intervene on every issue. Otherwise, nothing gets resolved. The people of Bengal do not trust the TMC government anymore... 'Bengal mein machi cheekh pukaar, nahi chahiye nirmam sarkar'," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Also Read | BJP claims SIT report on Murshidabad violence shows Mamata govt's 'cruelty' Violence broke out in Murshidabad during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act on April 11. The protests turned violent, resulting in the deaths of three people and injuries to several others, with widespread property damage. The protest later spread to other districts, including Malda, South 24 Parganas, and Hooghly, where incidents of arson, stone-pelting, and road blockades were reported. Mamata Banerjee has claimed that the violence in Murshidabad was orchestrated and well-planned. During Friday's rally, the prime minister said that the state of West Bengal is facing many crises simultaneously, including anarchy and unemployment. Also Read | BJP blames Mamata Banerjee for Murshidabad riots: 'Met with Imams who were involved…' '... Today, West Bengal is surrounded by many crises simultaneously. First is the crisis of violence and anarchy spreading in the society. Second is the unsafety of our mothers and sisters who are being subjected to heinous crimes,' Modi said, according to ANI. "The third crisis is of extreme despair and rampant unemployment spreading among the youth. The fourth crisis is the continuously declining trust in the system. The fifth crisis is of the selfish politics of the ruling party, which steals the rights of the poor," he added.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Bihar campaign in top gear with Modi visit, JD(U) hits ground to soothe Muslim anger on Waqf law
AS PRIME Minister Narendra Modi arrives on a visit to poll-bound Bihar Thursday, ally JD(U) has been hard at work on the ground, reaching out to the Muslim community over the contentious Waqf law. The party, whose chief Nitish Kumar has U-turned from being a trenchant Modi critic to a fair-weather friend, is facing uncomfortable questions on the issue. However, it hopes to settle the Muslim community's apprehensions with its organised campaign involving Muslim leaders who are holding meetings at individual level to explain the reasons behind the party's support for the Waqf (Amendment) Act in Parliament. JD(U) spokesperson Anjum Ara, who has been part of this outreach for the past few weeks, admitted he has faced aggressive questioning. 'But I heard them out calmly. I explained to them that the JD(U) supported the Bill as all its five recommendations (to the parliamentary panel that studied the Bill) were incorporated. I also tell them that Nitish Kumar has their best interests in mind,' Ara, who lost the 2020 Assembly polls to the CPI (ML)L's Ajit Kumar from the Dumraon seat, said. Asserting that minorities have full faith in Nitish's leadership, Ara said she has found that people are receptive when explained why changes in the Waqf Act were necessary, with 'the needy not getting the benefits'. 'Our Muslim support base will be intact as people are seeing the development in Bihar and they trust Nitishji's leadership,' he said. On Wednesday, JD(U) leader Saba Zafar, who lost the 2020 polls to the AIMIM's Akhtarul Imam from the Amour seat, held a meeting with the community where he said Nitish would never do anything against them and understands their interests. 'Nitish rejected the idea of an NRC (the proposed National Register of Citizens) in Bihar. And when questions regarding the Waqf law arise, he will act accordingly… There was pressure on me from the Muslim community to resign from the JD(U) but I stayed on because I know there will be no injustice under Nitish's leadership,' he said, adding that the party is set to step up its interactions with Muslims over the Waqf law after Eid on June 7. To drill their point home, JD(U) leaders are invoking the 1989 Bhagalpur riots under the Congress government in Bihar, and telling people that it was Nitish who as CM got the culprits punished, ensured justice to the victims and rehabilitated the displaced. The Bhagalpur violence was one of the worst clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Independent India and resulted in deaths of around a thousand people, 900-odd of them Muslims, and the displacement of over 50,000 people. Accusing the Opposition of 'misguiding people' on the Waqf law, a JD(U) leader cited the report of the Sachar Committee – constituted to study the social, economic and educational status of Muslims. 'When people question me, I ask them to name one poor Muslim from their village whose life improved due to the previous Waqf law. They are left speechless. I also tell them that the Sachar Committee report found that Waqf properties' income was much lesser than estimated. In such a scenario, it is the government's responsibility to ensure benefits of Waqf properties reach the intended beneficiaries and that the new law ensures this,' he said. Over questions regarding the inclusion of non-Muslims in Waqf boards, which is one of the most contentious clauses of the new law, JD(U) leaders are saying this also opens the possibility of representation of Pasmanda (backward) Muslims, who make up 85% of the community's population in the state, in Waqf boards. The JD(U) is the third largest constituent of the ruling NDA at the Centre after the the BJP and Telugu Desam Party (TDP). It has enjoyed support among the Muslims in Bihar, who comprise 17.7% of the state's population. The JD(U) has earlier too found itself in tricky situations over measures taken by the BJP-led government at the Centre, such as banning instant triple talaq, introduction of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the NRC proposal. In the 2020 Assembly polls, its tally had come down to 43, from 71 in 2015. A JD(U) Muslim leader admitted that these issues had played a significant role in affecting the party tally. 'During the 2020 campaign, people told me that they would have supported me even if I contested as an Independent but refused to support me as my party was aligned with the BJP. Only 5% Muslims voted for us,' said the leader, who was among the 11 Muslim JD(U) leaders who lost the polls. A senior party leader claimed that the situation had 'normalised' after 2020 as Muslims realised they had made a mistake by 'weakening Nitish', but that the Waqf law now could be a fresh setback. 'Muslims were back to backing the JD(U) as was evident in the Belaganj Assembly bypoll last year. However, we have to do damage control again,' he said. Among those who criticised the party for extending support to the Waqf Act in Parliament was AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. In an interview with The Indian Express, Owaisi had said: 'The Waqf Bill is detrimental to Muslims and people will never forgive the JD(U) and TDP for supporting it.' Lalmani is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, and is based in New Delhi. He covers politics of the Hindi Heartland, tracking BJP, Samajwadi Party, BSP, RLD and other parties based in UP, Bihar and Uttarakhand. Covered the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, 2019 and 2024; Assembly polls of 2012, 2017 and 2022 in UP along with government affairs in UP and Uttarakhand. ... Read More
Hans India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
SC notice to Centre on validity of 1995 Waqf Act
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought responses from the Centre and others on a petition challenging the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the Waqf Act, 1995. A bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih issued notices to the Centre and others, seeking their responses on the plea, and tagged it with pending petitions that have raised a similar issue. Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, who appeared in the court on behalf of petitioner Nikhil Upadhyay, told the bench that the plea challenges the provisions of the Waqf Act, 1995. He referred to the apex court's April 17 order relating to challenges to the validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. Upadhyay said in that order, the court had said petitions challenging the 1995 law and the amendments made therein in 2013 shall be separately shown on the cause list.
