'Apne vote bank ko bachane...': Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde launches sharp jibe on opposition, backs Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 

Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde has voiced strong support for the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, emphasising its provisions aimed at enhancing representation for Muslim women within the Waqf governance structure.

The bill, which seeks to reform the current framework of the Waqf Board, has faced considerable opposition, with critics questioning its implications.

Shinde highlighted the pressing issue of over 85,000 pending cases related to the Waqf Board in courts nationwide, asserting that the bill aims to streamline the resolution of these cases and enable better management of Waqf properties.

“The opposition’s stance is primarily driven by a desire to protect their vote banks rather than the welfare of the community,” he stated, accusing dissenting parties of resisting efforts that would facilitate the establishment of schools and hospitals on Waqf lands.

Other NDA allies Janata Dal (United) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) backed the Modi government on the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday tabled the bill to amend the law governing Waqf boards. If passed, this bill will give the government the right to regulate Waqf properties.

The bill also proposes for the inclusion of Muslim women and non-Muslims in the Waqf Boards. Union Minister and senior JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh took the opposition to task and said that the bill was not against Muslims, adding that it was inclusive and did not promote religious divide. 

"The law is being made to bring transparency. The Opposition is comparing it with temples. They are diverting from the main issue. KC Venugopal should explain how thousands of Sikhs were killed. Which taxi driver killed Indira Gandhi? Now, they are talking about minorities," the JD(U) leader said. 

On the other hand, Congress Member of Parliament Supriya Sule urged the Central Government to completely withdraw the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, expressing her concerns over the lack of transparency and consideration for state powers.

“Remarkably, we learned about the Bill through media reports. It is crucial that the Parliament is informed first about such significant legislation,” Sule stated, underscoring the need for parliamentary primacy in the democratic framework of India.