Janata Dal (United) leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan' asserted on Thursday that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill aims to enhance transparency in the functioning of the Waqf Board and is not an attempt to interfere with the operation of mosques.
Singh's defence of the bill came amid uproar from opposition leaders who opposed its introduction. "JD(U) is a party here whether it is opposing or supporting; I have to record my view here," Singh stated.
Addressing concerns raised by several members, Singh questioned the notion that the amendment to the Waqf Board law is anti-Muslim. "Several members are making it sound as if the amendment in Waqf Board law is anti-Muslim. How is it anti-Muslim?" he asked.
He also dismissed comparisons to Ayodhya, emphasising the distinction between a temple and an institution. "This is not an attempt to interfere with mosques. This law is for the institution, to make it transparent," he claimed.
Explaining the rationale behind the Waqf Board's formation through legislation, Singh argued that any institution established by law risks becoming autocratic, thus justifying the government's right to legislate for transparency.
Singh criticised the opposition parties, accusing them of spreading rumours and denying any communal divide. He also took a jibe at the Congress party over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, asking, "Who killed thousands of Sikhs?"
"The Bill should come and transparency should be brought," he insisted.
The bill proposes significant amendments to the Wakf Act, 1995, including ensuring representation for Muslim women and non-Muslims in Waqf boards. Additionally, it seeks to rename the act as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.
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