Latest news with #WaqfBill
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Mehbooba Mufti calls for end to ‘spectre of war'; says ‘NC wants more war and bodies'
File photo: J&K's former CM and PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti (Picture credit: PTI) SRINAGAR: With tension still running high between India and Pakistan, even as Operation Sindoor remains on pause, J&K's former CM and PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti , Saturday said the spectre of war must end so that people can plan their lives and revive the economy. She accused the NC leadership of war-mongering, and said it wanted 'more war and more dead bodies'. 'Jammu and Kashmir should be a bridge of understanding, friendship and cooperation, not a theatre for war,' Mehbooba said, addressing her party workers. She said her party was committed to peace and dialogue, and warned against the war rhetoric. It was the people of J&K who bore the brunt of war and violence, the PDP chief said, comparing the region to 'grass trampled under the feet of two fighting elephants'. 'PDP will continue to raise its voice for peace and channel the sentiments of the people,' she said. Mehbooba said the statements of the NC leadership, including party patriarch Farooq Abdullah's call for intensified military action against Pakistan, reflected a dangerous mindset. Criticising Abdullah for reportedly supporting assaults 'more brutal than the Balakot strike', she said: 'These leaders want more war and more dead bodies. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nachhaltig wohnen: Luxuscontainerhäuser günstiger denn je Visionary Echo Tìm Ngay Undo It is only PDP that has consistently advocated for an end to hostilities and has spoken for the people's right to live a life of dignity.' The PDP President also expressed concern over the ongoing crackdown in the region. 'Our youths are being jailed, and the Public Safety Act is being misused. If such draconian measures were truly effective, incidents like Pahalgam would not have occurred. If the goal is to fight militancy, don't wage war against the poor people of JK, many of whom are languishing in jails outside the state. Their families cannot even afford to visit them.' Mehbooba said NC was constantly attempting to appease BJP at the cost of people's interests and their own mandate. Referring to Kiran Rijiju, she said: 'The minister who introduced the Waqf Bill was later welcomed and garlanded in Kashmir by the NC leadership. NC, despite having 50 MLAs, didn't even allow a resolution to be passed in the J&K Assembly against the Waqf amendment.'
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Nitish Kumar recalibrates caste math ahead of Bihar polls
(You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel With the Bihar assembly elections approaching, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is reshuffling key posts to fine-tune the caste equations crucial to his recent days, he appointed former JDU MP Gulam Rasool Balyawi as chairman of the Minority Commission - a move seen as outreach to Muslim voters displeased with the party's support for the Waqf Bill. Balyawi, a vocal critic of the bill, is joined by several other minority leaders on the appeal to other caste blocs, Kumar named BJP's Mahachandra Prasad as head of the Upper Caste Commission and JDU's Rajeev Ranjan as vice president. The post had been lying vacant for years. He also appointed BJP's Shailendra Kumar as chief of the Tribal Commission, again filling long-pending vacancies. These appointments signal Kumar's intent to consolidate social support across the board as elections near.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Clamour intensifies against Waqf Amendment Act, protest in Hyderabad
Over 400 people, including women and children, gathered at Dharna Chowk, Indira Park, on Saturday afternoon to protest against the Waqf Amendment Act. The rally was organised by the Telangana Muslim Joint Action Committee (JAC). People took part in the protest by holding placards and listening to speeches conveying growing concerns over the Act. JAC convenor and Tehreek Muslim Shabban president Mohammed Mushtaq Malik criticised the 'systematic weakening of Muslim institutions' and urged political parties and civil society groups to support the resistance. The provisions of the new law would pave the way for a greater State control over religious endowments, he said. Describing the legislation as more far-reaching than earlier concerns over the CAA and NRC, Mr. Malik questioned the removal of community-specific safeguards and provisions allowing non-Muslim appointments to Waqf Boards. He also emphasised the need for the All India Muslim Personal Law Board to maintain political neutrality if it intends to lead a credible movement against the Act. Mahila Congress vice-president from Khairatabad Asma Ibrahim requested the public to participate in such marches to show their support against the law. 'The Modi government is after the Waqf Bill to target us. We should not let them do this discrimination to us. I request my fellow sisters to join us in this protest,' she said. Leaders from various political parties, including Congress, BRS, MBT and Telangana Jana Samithi, were present. Former PCC president V. Hanumantha Rao, former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir, MBT president Majeedullah Khan Farhat, BRS leader Shaik Abdullah Sohail, former MP Aziz Pasha, MLC Kodandaram, Waqf Board chairman Syed Azmatullah Hussaini, and Haj Committee chairman Khusro Pasha Biyabani, took part. Central Zone police cordoned off the area with a 300-metre security perimeter to prevent any untoward incident.
Mint
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
‘Nobody has right over govt land': Centre tells SC on pleas challenging Waqf Act
The Centre informed the Supreme Court that no individual can claim ownership over government land, asserting the government's statutory authority to reclaim properties declared as waqf by applying the principle of 'waqf by user'. The court exchange happened on the second day of hearing in Supreme Court on Waqf Bill. 'Nobody has the right over government land,' the top law officer said. 'There is a Supreme Court judgment which says the government can save the property if it belongs to the government and has been declared as waqf,' he said. 'Waqf by user' principle recognises a property as waqf based on its long-standing use for religious or charitable purposes, even in the absence of formal documentation. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre before a bench led by Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih, emphasised that 'Nobody has the right over government land,' and cited Supreme Court precedents affirming the government's power to protect such properties once declared waqf. "False narrative is created that they will have to provide documents or waqf is captured enmasse. Waqf by user not permitted henceforth, except 2. private property- governed by competent court adjudication and no person can say irrespective, it will remain waqf by user 3. Government property- what will be the effect of stay? (not only defeat but also result in anamoligy -creation of legitimative regime by judicial order where the parliament consciously has taken out, would give premium to waqf by user which has defied the 100 years hold need for ficticiously claiming Waqf by user in 2025 when he has never choose to apply for registration, would encourage the mischief quoted by the Committee that some waqf are deliberating avoiding to register)", LiveLaw quoted Tushar Mehta in Supreme Court. Solicitor Genral Tushar Mehta further noted that the legislation had been enacted following extensive consultations with state governments and waqf boards, and no affected party had approached the Court disputing Parliament's competence to legislate in this domain. In its written submissions, the Centre robustly defended the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, characterising waqf as a 'secular concept' and underscoring the 'presumption of constitutionality' that protects parliamentary statutes from interim suspension absent compelling grounds. The government maintained that the Act regulates secular aspects of waqf administration while safeguarding religious freedoms and that no 'grave national urgency' warranted a stay. The bench reiterated the high threshold for interim relief, observing that petitioners challenging the law must demonstrate a 'strong and glaring' case. The hearing also addressed contentious issues such as the authority of officers above district collector rank to adjudicate waqf claims, the composition of waqf boards, and provisions concerning the denotification of waqf properties upon inquiry into government ownership. The Waqf Act, which received presidential assent on 5 April 2025 and was passed amid significant parliamentary division, remains under judicial scrutiny as the Court continues to deliberate on its constitutional validity. PLEASE NOTE: Hearing is underway. This copy will be updated accordingly The Supreme Court is currently hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which seeks to regulate waqf properties—religious endowments under Islamic law. Petitioners argue that the amendment discriminates against Muslims and unlawfully interferes with the management of waqf properties, while the Centre defends it as a necessary measure to prevent misuse and encroachment on government and private lands. The Court has emphasised the presumption of constitutionality in favour of the Act, requiring petitioners to demonstrate a 'strong and glaring' case to obtain interim relief. Key issues under scrutiny include the denotification of waqf properties, the composition of waqf boards, and the classification of government land as waqf under the 'waqf by user' principle, with the Centre maintaining that waqf is a secular concept and not an essential religious right under the Constitution The Centre notified the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 last month after it got President Droupadi Murmu's assent on April 5. The bill was cleared by Lok Sabha with the support of 288 members while 232 MPs were against it. The Rajya Sabha saw 128 members voting in its favour and 95 against it.
Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Naveen Patnaik overhauls BJD, ‘sidelines' critics in a single stroke, brings back PAC
Amid growing dissidence in Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ranks, party president and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday reconstituted a Political Affairs Committee (PAC) for 'collective decision-making' while announcing his new team. The formation of the 10-member PAC with Patnaik as its chairman assumes significance as it comes against the backdrop of recent allegations by a section of senior BJD leaders about 'outside forces weakening Patnaik's leadership' and a 'few individuals hijacking the party', a reference to the ex-CM's former private secretary V K Pandian. The decision comes weeks after Patnaik was elected unopposed as party president for a ninth consecutive term on April 19. The PAC, considered to be the most powerful committee in the party, existed in the BJD's initial years. At the time, Bijoy Mohapatra, a close confidant of Naveen's father Biju Patnaik and who played an instrumental role in the party's formation, headed the PAC. Mohapatra opposed most of Naveen's decisions, which is believed to be the reason for his expulsion from the party in 2000, the year the latter became the CM. The PAC was subsequently abolished, marking the first step Patnaik took to establish his firm grip over the party. The PAC will be responsible for critical decision-making, including shaping the party's stance on key issues, making political decisions related to the organisation and election and deciding the party's political messaging. Senior leaders who raised their voices against Pandian, following the mixed directives on voting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament, have been kept out of the PAC and the list of office-bearers. Represented by a mix of experience and youth, a majority of the PAC members are known to be loyal to the party's power centre and those who have toed the party line on all issues. Sasmit Patra, the BJD's leader in the Rajya Sabha who was in the eye of the storm over the party's last-minute flip-flop on the amended Waqf law, has been included in the PAC. After the BJD opposed the Waqf Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Patra took to social media to announce the party's stand to allow its MPs to 'exercise their conscience' during voting, leading to a row in the party that had earlier opposed the amendments to the Waqf law. Senior leader Pranab Prakash Das who was the organisational secretary and considered to be next in the BJD hierarchy after Patnaik and Pandian has also been included in the PAC. However, with the party deciding against appointing a successor to Das as organisational secretary, sources said the post was likely to be abolished. 'Though we welcome the decision regarding the formation of the PAC, which can ensure collective decision-making on crucial political matters, the list clearly reflects that those part of the committee are close to a particular powerful camp in the party. We will wait to see how the committee works,' said a senior BJD leader. The leader questioned the inclusion of some faces in the PAC, including Santrupt Misra, a former CEO for companies in the Aditya Birla Group, considering his lack of political experience. 'Less prominent' roles for critics Party veterans such as Prasanna Acharya, who is the BJD's deputy leader in the state Assembly, and former minister A U Singhdeo have been appointed in-charge of frontal organisations such as the farmers' cell and regional development wing, two relatively less significant positions. Both Acharya and Singhdeo were part of a group that met at a city hotel in early April and raised concerns about 'outside forces' — an oblique reference to Pandian — weakening Patnaik's leadership. Eight-time BJD MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain, who in a recent letter to Patnaik alleged that a 'few individuals were hijacking the party', has also been kept out of key organisational positions and has been made the leader in charge of the BJD's cooperatives cell. Senior MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo has been made the in-charge of the Other Backward Class (OBC) cell. Rajya Sabha MP Debashish Samantaray, who abstained from voting on the Waqf amendments citing his displeasure over the BJD's last-minute change in stance and accused Pandian of being behind the move, has been assigned the senior citizens' cell. Another veteran, Badri Narayan Patra, who also alleged there was some 'khela (deal) with the BJP ' behind the party's Waqf stance, is now the education and teachers' cell in-charge. According to another BJD leader, by appointing these senior members as in-charges of various cells, the party has sought to 'send a message that dissidents would always be cut to size'. 'The situation is such that these leaders can't even complain that they are sidelined,' the leader said. Hockey icon Dilip Tirkey has replaced Munna Khan as the convener of the party's minority cell, while Khan has been made co-ordinator of the south zone cell. Khan had not only opposed and voted against the Waqf bill, but also questioned the party's decision not to issue a whip and allow the MPs to 'exercise their conscience'. A delegation led by Khan had also raised slogans such as 'Pandian go back' and 'Pandian hatao, BJD bachao (remove Pandian, save BJD)' at Patnaik's residence after the Waqf voting flip-flop. 'Khan's recent outburst might be the reason behind his demotion,' said a BJD source. Senior BJD leader Pratap Jena said the new PAC and office-bearers would help rejuvenate and reorganise the party at the state, district and block levels. 'Our fight for the cause of Odisha and its people will continue. The regional party would soon announce names for its youth, student and women wings,' he said.
