Waqf Bill to divert people's attention, spark unwanted debates: Akhilesh Yadav

Varanasi (UP), Feb 14 (PTI) Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said the Waqf (Amendment) Bill tabled in Parliament was a tactic of the BJP-led Centre to divert people's attention from key issues to engage them in unnecessary debates and government's "failure" in boosting economy.

The Lok Sabha MP from Kannauj also hit out at the government for a "lacklustre" budget, a day after the report of the Joint Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill was tabled in both Houses of Parliament.

The Lok Sabha speaker allowed the submission of dissent notes in entirety as demanded by the opposition and Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserting the BJP had no objection to it.

The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha witnessed stormy scenes with the opposition members trooping to the Wells of the respective Houses protesting against the "undemocratic" action of the committee chairman.

In Varanasi on Friday, Yadav criticized the recently presented Union Budget, stating that while the government claims to elevate India's economy from the fifth to the third position globally, the budget has only led to disappointment.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister accused the government of failing to support the manufacturing sector, rendering slogans like "Make in India" ineffective.

"The government has now introduced the new legislation (referring to the Waqf Bill) to divert public attention from real issues and keep people engaged in unrelated debates," he alleged.

Yadav also slammed the government's claims of making India a developed nation and transforming Varanasi into Kyoto.

When asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States, Yadav remarked, "It's good that he has gone abroad, but he should bring back trade deals that benefit our people rather than just opening Indian markets for America." He recalled a past remark that he made in Parliament, saying, "Last time, Modi ji took diamonds to America; this time, he could have at least taken a gold chain." He also raised concerns about the Indians struggling for jobs and migrating illegally.

"The dream of a developed India should be that our citizens don't have to leave the country due to lack of jobs. Many states, especially Punjab and Gujarat, see large numbers of people migrating illegally. If such a list is prepared, Gujarat will have the highest number of illegal immigrants," he claimed.

"India should be strong enough that no country can deport our citizens in handcuffs and treat them like criminals. The fact that Indians were deported and landed in Amritsar during 'Amrit Kaal' was an insult to India and its citizens. I have always said that trade relations should be strengthened, but the Indian government must not surrender its market to foreign powers," he asserted.

When asked about the imposition of President's rule in Manipur, Yadav said, "It should have been implemented much earlier." Earlier on Friday, prominent Shia cleric and Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Hind general secretary Maulana Syed Kalbe Jawad strongly opposed the Waqf Bill introduced by the government in Parliament, calling it an attempt to take over waqf properties.

"This is not a Waqf Amendment Bill, it is a 'Waqf Eradication Bill'. All 14 provisions in this bill are against waqf," Jawad told reporters after Friday prayers at Asifi Mosque in Lucknow.

"The government wants to seize waqf properties and use them for its own purposes. This will never be accepted," he asserted.

Jawad also criticized the conduct of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), which was tasked with gathering opinions on the bill, calling it "unconstitutional". PTI KIS AS AS

Source: PTI