Ashok Gehlot Critiques Waqf Bill as a Distraction for Majority Community

Synopsis

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has criticized the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, claiming it diverts the majority community's attention from pressing issues like inflation and unemployment. He argues that this legislation aims to create fear in the minority community and exacerbate tensions between communities. The Bill is set for a crucial Rajya Sabha test.

Key Takeaways

Ashok Gehlot criticizes the Waqf Bill as a distraction.
The Bill diverts from real issues like inflation and unemployment.
Gehlot links the Bill to previous laws targeting minorities.
The Waqf Bill is facing a crucial test in the Rajya Sabha.
Minister Kiren Rijiju defends the Bill's significance.

Jaipur, April 3 (NationPress) Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has vehemently condemned the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 in the Lower House of Parliament, asserting that the Bill is designed to distract the majority community from pressing issues.

“It appears that the Indian government is consistently enacting laws that target the minority community to shift focus from critical matters such as inflation, unemployment, the ongoing decline in the stock market, and the devaluation of the rupee,” he shared on ‘X’.

The former Chief Minister noted that a similar strategy was observed during the CAA debates, where the law was introduced in 2020, but its rules were only established in 2024.

“To gain political leverage, this issue was repeatedly emphasized, creating tension across the nation. The legislation concerning Waqf is also part of this tactic,” he remarked.

Gehlot further expressed that the introduction of a new law on Waqf was unnecessary, asserting that it serves to divert the majority community's attention from significant issues and instill fear within the minority community, thereby exacerbating tensions between the two groups.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is poised for a critical test in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, merely a day after it passed through the Lok Sabha following an extensive 12-hour debate.

Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju presented the Bill, highlighting its importance in transforming the lives of impoverished Muslim families.

In the Upper House, numerous verbal clashes erupted as treasury and opposition benches confronted each other on various issues, including Leader of Opposition in the House Mallikarjun Kharge's claims regarding Waqf landholdings and ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans raised after a Congress MP's election victory in Karnataka.

The uproar also prompted interjections from Home Minister Amit Shah, who accused the opposition of disseminating misinformation regarding the Waqf Bill and countered allegations that the BJP aimed to polarize voters with amendments to the legislation.