Latest news with #WaqfAmendmentBill2025
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
BJP claims SIT report on Murshidabad violence shows Mamata govt's ‘cruelty'
The BJP on Wednesday said the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) fact-finding report on the recent violence in West Bengal's Murshidabad showed the 'cruelty' of chief minister Mamata Banerjee's government towards Hindus. BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi cited 'some media reports' to allege that the ruling TMC leaders were involved in the violence, which he claimed to have 'clearly' and 'unambiguously' targeted Hindus. He also alleged that the state police failed to stop the violence by 'ignoring' the action of TMC leaders. 'The chain of violence against Hindus by targeting them is visible from Murshidabad to Pahalgam. The way the facts are coming out from the fact-finding SIT in Murshidabad violence, it is showing the cruelty of Mamata Banerjee's government towards Hindus and the immense affection towards the fundamentalists,' he further alleged. The fact-finding committee set up by the Calcutta High Court submitted its report on the Murshidabad violence, which forced a large number of residents to flee their homes and take shelter in the neighbouring Malda district. The three-member committee formed last month was also mandated to oversee the rehabilitation of those affected by the violence. Protests broke out in Murshidabad between April 8 and 12 against the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 and escalated into large-scale violence and arson. The violence was contained after the Calcutta high court had on April 12 ordered the deployment of CAPF in Murshidabad district in view of communal violence. On May 15, the court said that the deployment of central forces will continue till further orders. The members of the fact-finding committee are – Joginder Singh, Registrar (Law), National Human Rights Commission; Satya Arnab Ghosal, Member Secretary, West Bengal Legal Services Authority; and Saugata Chakraborty, Registrar, West Bengal Judicial Service. The report comes when the opposition BJP has been alleging the role of the ruling TMC leaders in allegedly inciting violence. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that incidents of violence make people suffer, but provide politicians opportunities to exploit the situation.
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 aims to improve transparency: Muslim Rashtriya Manch Punjab convener
Ludhiana: The convener of Muslim Rashtriya Manch Punjab , Himachal, and Chandigarh, K D Himachali, during a press conference on Saturday, supported the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 and enumerated its merits. He said the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 aims to update the Waqf Act 1995 to address the problems in the management of waqf properties. The proposed changes focus on certain issues, such as removing the deficiencies of the previous act and enhancing the efficiency of Waqf Boards, updating the definitions of waqf, improving the registration process, and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records, he added. The Muslim Waqf (Repeal) Bill 2025 aims to repeal the archaic Muslim Waqf Act 1923, which is no longer applicable to modern India. The repeal will ensure uniform rules for the management of waqf properties under the Waqf Act 1995. It will improve transparency and accountability in waqf management and eliminate confusion and legal contradictions caused by the old law, he said. He said by addressing long-standing issues such as litigation and lack of judicial monitoring, the bill seeks to create a more structured and accountable framework. The major changes include redefining what constitutes a waqf, improving the survey and registration process, empowering govt monitoring, and ensuring inclusiveness by including non-Muslim members and women in waqf-related bodies. These provisions are an important step towards modernising waqf property management in India, he claimed. On this occasion, Muslim National Forum regional co-convenor Sabir Hussain, Punjab state co-convenor Gulzar Khan, Mahmood Salmani, Noor Alam, and Rehman were present. MSID:: 120646634 413 |
Times of Oman
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
India: Lok Sabha passes Waqf Amendment Bill after marathon, heated debate
New Delhi: The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 on Thursday after a marathon and heated debate during which members of INDIA bloc fiercely opposed the legislation while BJP and its allies in strongly supported it, saying it will bring transparency and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards. The bill was passed after amendments made by the opposition members were negatived. The House sat beyond midnight to pass the legislation. After a reply to the debate by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Speaker Om Birla announced that the House is taking up item no 12 in the listed business - The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 - for a decision of the House. He said the question is whether the bill should be taken up for consideration and then said the lobbies should be cleared. He later announced the result of division. "Subject to correction, Ayes 288, Noes 232. The majority is in favour of the proposal," he said. Parties in INDIA bloc had decided to oppose the bill and their members voted accordingly. They also pressed for division on some amendments. An amendment was negatived with 231 members voting in favour and 238 against it. The revised bill was brought by the government after incorporating recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee which examined the legislation which was introduced in August last year. In his reply to the debate, Rijiju said slammed the opposition parties for terming Waqf Amendment Bill as "unconstitutional", Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the law relating to Waqf property has been in existence for decades and has not been struck down by courts and such words should not be used lightly. The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024' has also been passed in Lok Sabha. The debate on Lok Sabha that lasted almost 12 hours. Rijiju said that after the bill is passed, the poor in the Muslim community will thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The House sat beyond midnight to pass the bill. "Crores of poor Muslims will thank PM Modi on the bill being passed," he said. Rijiju rejected criticism by opposition members that the Bill was "anti-Muslim" and said some members were just not prepared to accept the truth despite Home Minister Amit Shah nicely elucidating on all issues. "I want to thank all the leaders for keeping their views regarding the Bill... Some leaders are saying that the bill is unconstitutional, and I want to ask them how they could say that the bill is unconstitutional. If it was unconstitutional, why didn't the court strike it down?... words like unconstitutional should not be Bill is not against the Constitution, as the opposition should not use the words 'constitutional' and 'unconstitutional' so lightly," he said. Earlier, in his speech, Home Minister Amit Shah said that the opposition is trying to build its vote bank by scaring the minority community. He said the government does not want to interfere in the religious activities of Muslim brothers and the trusts associated with their donations. "No non-Islamic member will get a place in the Waqf Board's work related to religious donations. Work of non-Muslim members, appointed in the Waqf Board or its premises, will not be related to religious activities. A person of any religion can become the Charity Commissioner, he will ensure that the board is run according to charity law, this is the administrative work, not religious," the Home Minister said. "The work of the Waqf Board should be to catch and throw out those who sell Waqf properties. The opposition wants the collusion that was going on in their rule to continue, but this will not happen now," he added. Amit Shah said had the Waqf law not been amended in 2013, there would have been no need to bring this bill. "In 2013, Waqf law was made extreme overnight for appeasement, due to which 123 VVIP properties of Lutyens zone in Delhi were given to Waqf," he said. The Home Minister also spoke of extensive consultations done by the Joint Parliamentary Committee which examined the Waqf Bill. "We formed a joint committee, 38 meetings were held, 113 hours of discussion took place and 284 stakeholders were included and about one crore online suggestions came from all over the country from all these and after analyzing all these, this law was made and it cannot be rejected like this," he said. Participating in the debate, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who headed the JPC, said it is among the most important legislations in the third term of Modi government. The bill was earlier moved for consideration and passing in the House by Rijiju. The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995. The Bill seeks to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records.
