JPC chief slams Owaisi for tearing Waqf Bill in LS, calls it 'attack on democracy'

New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, on Thursday, condemned AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for tearing a copy of the legislation in the Lok Sabha, calling it an "attack on democracy" and stating that the public will "never forgive" the act.

Speaking to IANS, Pal said, "Owaisi has torn the bill. He has done unconstitutional work. Tearing up a bill introduced by a democratically elected government is an insult to the people of this country. Referring to Mahatma Gandhi will not justify this act, and the nation will not forgive it. No one has the right to disregard the mandate of the people."

Owaisi, on Wednesday, had cited Mahatma Gandhi's protest against discriminatory South African laws while dramatically tearing the bill in Parliament, stating, "Like Gandhi, I am also tearing up this law."

Reacting sharply, Pal said, "The people will not forget. No one has the right to vote against a law brought by the government through the mandate of the people. You may disagree with it, but tearing it is an attack on democracy."

He further stated that the bill would be introduced in the Rajya Sabha, and the outcome would be positive.

Defending the need for amendments in the Waqf Act, Pal argued that the existing law granted "unlimited power" that overrode constitutional provisions.

"This Bill has been in existence for so long. Whether it was the Principal Act of 1995 or its 2013 amendment, unlimited power was given to them, which was above the Constitution. The UPA government in 2013 violated Article 300A, which is the Right to Property," he stated.

Emphasising that the bill aims to provide justice to marginalised communities, Pal said, "Tomorrow will be a historic day for the poor, pastoralists, women, widows, and children of the country. People contribute their hard-earned money to ensure benefits reach the underprivileged. Waqf properties are the third largest in India after railways and the army, yet they were not benefiting the needy. For the first time, a bill has been passed to ensure justice, aligning with the constitutional spirit envisioned by Babasaheb Ambedkar."

Citing the Sachar Committee's findings on the socio-economic conditions of Muslims, Pal pointed out that the literacy rate of Muslim women was only 51.3 per cent, while their higher education rate stood at just 6.9 per cent.

He asserted that despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to uplift them, the opposition continued to falsely accuse the government.

Slamming opposition leaders, Pal said, "Be it Akhilesh Yadav or Rahul Gandhi, they consider Muslims as a vote bank and want to divide the community for appeasement politics. But today, it is clear who truly wants to empower them and who seeks to mislead them."

--IANS

sd/