Patna

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav joined the protest organized by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

Addressing the protestors, Tejashwi assured them that his party and its leader, Lalu Yadav, firmly stand with them in their fight against the "unconstitutional" Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

"RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav has come here to support and strengthen you. We have opposed this unconstitutional, undemocratic bill in Parliament, Vidhan Sabha, and Vidhan Parishad. Today, we brought an adjournment motion and demanded a discussion on it, but the House was adjourned. We want to tell you that we stand with you on this issue... Our effort is that this bill should not be passed at any cost," Tejashwi said.

"We are followers of the Constitution, we believe in Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, and at any cost, we will try to stop this bill from being passed," he added.

Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, he said, "This government is working to divide the country, dismantle democracy, and weaken the Constitution. Some parties, out of greed for power, are supporting this bill. But if we fight unitedly, we will win."

All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) launched a nationwide protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Patna.

Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party MP and chairman of the JPC on the Waqf Amendment Bill, Jagadambika Pal, criticized AIMPLB for its nationwide agitation, accusing the board of politicizing the issue.

Pal stated, "The way AIMPLB is doing politics in the name of Waqf, they are trying to mislead the minorities and Muslims of the country."

He further addressed the controversy surrounding the bill, referring to the Joint Parliamentary Committee's (JPC) report, which indicated that the government is preparing to introduce the amended law. He pointed out that despite the bill not being passed yet, AIMPLB was already organizing protests for political reasons.

"Right now, the law hasn't even come, yet, based on planned politics, they are already heading to Patna," Pal said.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to address key challenges by introducing reforms such as digitization, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.

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The proposed amendment seeks to ensure that Waqf properties are utilized for their intended purposes, benefiting both the Muslim community and the country as a whole.