'We found about the bill from media': NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule asks centre to withdraw Waqf Amendment Bill 2024

NCP (SP) 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.

Sule raised specific concerns regarding provisions in the Bill, particularly criticising the decision to delete Section 40 of the bill, which relates to the powers of the Board to decide if a property is waqf property.

“This section does not seem to aid the cause at all; its removal raises questions about the intentions behind this amendment,” she remarked.

Furthermore, Sule highlighted other sections of the Bill, including Section 108, questioning the implications of allowing the central government the authority to dictate rules. She talked about how the parliament should not allow the central government to strip powers away from the states. Local governance and regional authority must be maintained, she states. 

In her closing remarks, the Congress MP reinforced the importance of protecting minority rights, asserting that legislation such as this should prioritise safeguarding the interests of all communities. 

The remarks came after Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Thursday moved the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Lok Sabha. The Congress opposed the Bill, saying it was against the Constitution. 

"We are Hindus, but at the same time, we respect the faith of other religions. This bill is specialized for the Maharashtra and Haryana elections. You do not understand that last time the people of India taught you a lesson. This is an attack on the federal system," Congress MP KC Venugopal said in the Lower House. 

Venugopal said this bill is a fundamental attack on the Constitution. "Through this bill, they are putting a provision that non-Muslims also be members of the Waqf governing council. It is a direct attack on freedom of religion. Next, you will go for Christians, then Jains...People of India will not buy this kind of divisive politics now."

The opposition parties have demanded that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill be sent to Parliament's standing committee for scrutiny after it is introduced, with the government telling the Business Advisory Committee that it will take a call after assessing the sense of Lok Sabha.