LIVE | Rajya Sabha passes Waqf Bill (128-95)

Don't fall for fake narratives: Shiv Sena MP to Muslims

"It has become fashionable these days to call the government anti-Muslim. I want to place some data on record. Within 3 years of Narendra Modi come to power, the percentage of Muslims in government jobs has gone up from 5.3 in UPA to 9 percent. After abrogation of Article 370, the per capita income of Kashmiri Muslims has gone up in three years from 1.2 lakh per capita 1.7 lakh per capita. This is only because of PM Modi's policy of development for all and appeasement for none. In Maharashtra, our Ladki Behan scheme does not differentiate on religion of girls. I urge Muslims to not fall for fake narratives. This Bill is in their long term interest," says Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora. 

Bill aimed at polarisation, alleges BRS MP

"That this Bill is progressive is only a facade. This Bill is divisive, it is unconstitutional and it is only for polarisation. In Telangana and other parts of the country, so many Hindus go to dargahs, at times even more than Muslims, and they pray for something or the other - a child, child's bright future or anything. And Hindus pledge at such dargahs that if their prayer is fulfilled, they will make XYZ contribution to the shrine, to Waqf. Now with this 5 year rule for Waqf, by banning non-Muslims from making Waqf what are you trying to achieve. You will compel people to convert. The BRS opposes this Bill and we request you (govt) to withdraw this Bill," says BRS MP KR Suresh Reddy. 

TMC MP slams BJP for stoking division

"There is a mistrust between the Treasury and Opposition because of the actions of the regime. There is a difference of ideology. We believe in an ideology that says every religion is equal and we move forward if we are united but the Treasury side believes in an ideology that wants to take us back, stoke divisiveness. This Bill does racial profiling. It is suspect of being unconstitutional. Whenever this government loses power and it will be defeated, we will undo all the unconstitutional provisions of this Bill," says TMC MP Sushmita Dev.

'Union govt blinded by its hatred for Muslims': Congress MP

"The Constitution gives everyone the right to practice whatever religion they want to and run religious establishments but blinded by its hatred for Muslims, this government now wants to take these rights away from India's Muslims. The 123 Delhi properties that the minority affairs minister spoke about this morning and in the Lok Sabha were all on land acquired by British to build Lutyens Delhi in 1911. In 1913, the Muslims Waqf Validation Act gave those Muslims rights over management of these properties and subsequently those properties were handed, by law, to the Sunni Majlis Auqaf. Later, those properties were given to the Delhi Waqf Board and it is at that point that the VHP created a dispute and filed a case in the Delhi HC. Those properties were always under Waqf and so our UPA government brought the 2013 Act and ended the dispute," says Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi. 

Minority affairs minister should get his facts right: Sibal

Sibal responds saying Waqf boards also has statutory appointments which are all made by the government. He also rebuts Rijiju saying temple property and Waqf property have a basic difference. "Temple properties can be sold while Waqf property belongs to God because it is an endowment to God and hence it cannot be sold; so you need to understand the difference between the two." Sibal adds that even the Babri-Ram Mandir judgment upheld Waqf By User and the minority affairs minister should get his facts right; "he doesn't even know what Waqf is and has been comparing it with trusts".

Sitharaman takes on Opposition MPs

"In Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra all trusts and devasthanam boards are entirely government appointed unlike the Waqf and there has been a feeling among Hindu pilgrims that only our religious places are controlled by government," said FM Nirmala Sitharaman.  

Rijiju hits back at Sibal for citing 'misleading example'

"Kapil Sibal giving misleading example by comparing land with temple trusts in southern states with land under Waqf. The two are different because land with Waqf is civil property while land with temple trusts is religious land," says Kiren Rijiju.  

Kapil Sibal slams BJP for making misleading claims

"The BJP is repeatedly saying that Waqf has the largest landholding in the country at 8.97 lakh hectares after railways and defence. Let me point out how misleading this is. If you add the land holding with Hindu endowment and temple trusts in Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Telangana alone, the total comes to over 10 lakh hectares. So just 3 states land under Hindu temples and religious endowments exceeds the pan-country Waqf landholding. So why don't you bring a similar law there too? By bringing in Law of Limitation, you are encouraging encroachers because anyone can now claim adverse possession of a property now if he has been at the property for 12 years. You also have a problem with the fact that decision of a Waqf tribunal was considered final under the previous law but then you don't seem to have any problem with the fact that similarly orders of tribunals under Hindu Endowment Act are also considered final and can't be appealed against," said Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal. 

Plot to alienate Muslims, says Manoj Jha

The content and intent of the Waqf amendment bill puts a question mark on the government, said RJD Member Manoj Jha in Rajya Sabha, asking it to not hurry with the bill and send it to the select committee of Parliament once again.

Participating in the debate on the bill, Jha alleged that it is like "dog whistle politics" to alienate the Muslims from the mainstream.

Referring to recent incidents, Jha said from time to time, there are talks about economic boycotts, searching of some objects inside old mosques and attacks on places of worship, which are scaring the community, which is on the margins constantly.

"In such kind of environment, the content and intent of your bill raises questions," he said.

Taking a dig at the ruling party, Jha said, "Majority (of a party) in the House (Parliament) is not a wisdom mark and all of us have come here after being elected by someone.

Jha said Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians of this country are used to living with each other peacefully, and the government should not attempt to change it.

Over the provision of nomination of non-Muslims on Waqf in the bill, Jha said he will appreciate and praise if in all religious institutions, there are provisions of such representation from other religions.

"If you have put this in the Islamic community, then put this in Hindu, Sikh, Christian also... Or you have decided that all such experiments would be with the Muslim Community. This is not fair," he said.

He also raised the power delegated to the district magistrates under the bill and said the government has done so in previous bills also.

"DMs have become a tractor now," said Jha.

He further said the government has provisions for pasmanda musalman (weaker section), and if they really care for the weaker section, then why are caste censuses not happening? "You are ensuring institutional absence of Muslims," he said, adding that the Muslims of the country are indebted to this soil.

"Do not hurry up … unless everything will fall apart... Send this again for consultation and reduce the executive interference in this. You are going from elected to nominated (members)", Jha said.

Advocate Shaukat Ali explains why debate on Waqf Bill matters