New Delhi

The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) has urged Members of Parliament (MPs) to support the Centre’s Waqf (Amendment) Bill, advocating for the amendment of certain provisions they consider unfair. This appeal has sparked varied reactions from political leaders across the spectrum.

Samajwadi Party (SP) MP, Virendra Singh, while addressing the issue, noted, “Everyone has their own thoughts and approaches. When the Waqf Amendment Bill was introduced recently, there were objections after reading it. A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was then formed, but its report has still not been presented in Parliament. Once the Waqf Amendment Bill is passed by the Cabinet, we will read it and discuss whether it is right or wrong. If it is wrong, we will oppose it in Parliament.”

Meanwhile, CPI MP, P. Santhosh Kumar, responded sharply to the Catholic Bishops' intervention, saying, “Whether they want to do politics or not doesn't matter to us. We have our political views, and we will follow them. KCBC must be a non-political body, I don’t know much about it, but the point is, don't mix religion and politics.”

In contrast, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader Haris Beeran highlighted the longstanding relationship between his party and the Catholic Bishops.

“The IUML has a strong relationship with the Catholic Bishops' Council. Whatever their concerns are, our top leadership is engaging with them, and we are hopeful that we will be able to resolve the differences and reach an amicable solution,” Beeran said, emphasising the importance of dialogue in resolving the issue.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP, Jebi Mather, also acknowledged the views of the Bishops, stating, “We respect everyone's views, including the Catholic Bishops' Council. If they have concerns on this matter, we will discuss and convince them about the real issue. We respect what the KCBC says, but we will address the matter and sort it out.”

The KCBC has expressed its support for amendments to the Central Waqf Act, asserting that certain provisions were inconsistent with India’s secular and democratic values.

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Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India’s statement urges political parties to adopt a constructive approach to the matter, emphasising that the Bill should align with the Constitution.

As the government pushes to bring the Waqf (Amendment) Bill before Parliament in the ongoing Budget Session, the debate over the Bill continues to intensify with diverse political reactions.