Kapil Sibal Criticizes Government Over Waqf Bill Voting
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Synopsis
On April 2, former Law Minister Kapil Sibal criticized the Indian government regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill. He accused the government of targeting a specific community for electoral benefits and questioned its commitment to secularism and necessary reforms across all religions.
Key Takeaways
- Kapil Sibal condemns the Waqf Amendment Bill.
- Accusations of targeting a community for electoral gains.
- Reforms in religion should be uniform.
- Questions the government's focus on religion-based politics.
- Calls for greater attention to pressing development issues.
New Delhi, April 2 (NationPress) Former Law Minister Kapil Sibal launched a scathing attack on the Centre regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill on Wednesday, accusing it of targeting a specific community for electoral gains.
Sibal, addressing the media prior to the Waqf bill being presented in the Lok Sabha, stated that the BJP-led government is driven by a singular agenda to harass a particular community.
He highlighted several of the Centre's policies, such as the Uniform Civil Code, Love Jihad, and Bulldozer justice, asserting that these are being used as tools to target a specific religious group.
He emphasized that the outcome of the voting on the Waqf Bill will reveal which party genuinely upholds secularism and which operates with a biased agenda.
“It will be interesting to see how its coalition partners, including Nitish, Naidu, and Paswan’s party, vote on the Waqf bill. Nitish’s JD(U) may be compelled to withdraw due to upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar, while Chirag Paswan’s LNJP might follow suit to give the BJP an advantage in the numbers game,” he remarked.
“Naidu’s TDP raised objections to a certain clause of the bill that grants district collectors the authority to determine land classification. However, this alone is insufficient,” he stated.
Sibal, a leading lawyer, also criticized the Modi government for neglecting reforms within the Hindu religion.
“I want to pose a question to PM Modi - why is there no push for reforms in the Hindu religion? Why the silence when religious sites of minorities face targeting? In the Hindu code bill, women are denied property rights due to specific wills; how can they be denied equal opportunity?” he queried.
He further stated that reforms such as Triple Talaq are commendable and progressive, but they should apply uniformly.
“Reforms must be consistent for everyone and not selectively aimed at any community. This contradicts the essence of our democracy and constitution,” he remarked.
Sibal also criticized the government for including individuals from various faiths in the Waqf Board.
Moreover, he asserted that PM Modi made grand promises, yet his governance has devolved into trivial matters like UCC and love jihad.
“Why are significant development issues such as Smart cities, climate change, and economic growth sidelined?” he questioned.
“Politics based on religion will not lead to meaningful outcomes; instead, it will foster hatred. This only breeds anarchy and undermines our constitutional principles,” he concluded.
