Waqf amendment bill divisive, says INDIA bloc | Ranchi News – The Times of India

Ranchi: The INDIA bloc in Jharkhand opposed the Waqf Amendment Bill, which was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, and termed it an attempt to divide the country and divert the attention from pressing issues of the common man.
Calling the bill an attack on the Constitution, health minister Irfan Ansari accused the BJP of forcibly introducing the bill to strip the minorities of their rights. “It is a black day for the country. Indians have always been symbols of peace, but the BJP has devastated the entire nation. The Narendra Modi govt is determined to deprive a particular group of their rights. This bill is unconstitutional and violates fundamental rights,” he said. said Ansari.
State Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh said the party will continue to oppose the bill both inside and outside Parliament. “Various provisions of the bill are unacceptable, including two non-Muslims in the Waqf board council, giving govt officials the authority to resolve disputes instead of the Waqf Tribunal. This will prolong disputes related to Waqf, leaving people wandering in search of justice,” Kamlesh said.
Former state Congress president Rajesh Thakur claimed the BJP wanted to create conflict and unrest in society through this bill and was trying to divert public attention from serious issues like unemployment and inflation. “One must not forget how the current govt failed to effectively implement the Forest Rights Act meant for the rights of tribals over water, forests, and land, which was brought by the UPA govt in 2013,” he said. JMM also objected to the bill. Party spokesperson Manoj Kumar Pandey said this was a diversionary tactic by the Modi govt to digress public attention from key issues. “Ahead of the Bihar elections, it’s the BJP’s ploy to polarise voters,” he claimed.
State BJP President Babulal Marandi said, “They opposed triple talaq. With time, everything changes, and the Waqf bill will be a progressive step.”