Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 30: President of Peoples Democratic Front (PDF), Hakeem Mohd Yaseen has expressed dismay over the passing of Waqf Amendment Bill by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), despite the opposition’s stiff objections. He said the Waqf Amendment Bill undermines the rights of Muslims and threatens India’s federal structure.
In a statement issued today, Hakeem Yaseen while opposing JPC decision to pass Waqf Amendment Bill has said that it was a direct infringement on the rights of Muslim minorities in India. He said in the garb of overhauling the management of Waqf Act of 1995, which governs the management of Waqf properties in India , it inadvetantly aims at to usurp the waqf properties of Muslims.
He said JPC decision to pass Waqf Amendment Bill has been widely opposed by the intelligentia through out the country including the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant who while echoing his concerns, has stated that the amendments were put to a vote directly without any meaningful discussion. “The amendments we proposed were never explained, just voted on. We will submit a dissent note when the draft report is released on January 29,” Sawant has said. The Congress MP Imran Masood has accused the ruling party of attempting to seize Waqf properties, calling the bill a complete “ruin” for the Waqf system.
Congress MP Nasir Hussain has claimed that most stakeholders who participated in the JPC deliberations opposed the bill, while Samajwadi Party MP Mohibullah has described the entire procedure as a “mockery” of democracy.
PDF president has alleged that most of the amendments to Waqf Bill proposed by the opposition members were defeated without any discussion in the JPC meetings. He urged the Centre to respect religious sentiments of the Muslim minority before proceeding ahead on the Waqf Amendmend Bill.
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