New Delhi, Aug 8: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Union home minister Amit Shah had a faceoff in the Lok Sabha after the former claimed to have heard that many of the Speaker’s rights would be taken away.
Akhilesh Yadav said that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 was being introduced as part of a political plot. He said that there are many religious bodies that operate without interference from any other section.
Akhilesh Yadav questioned the appointment of a non-Muslim to the Waqf Board, saying, “What’s the point of putting a non-Muslim on the Waqf Board? If we look at history and consider giving all the power to a district collector… I don’t want to revisit the past, but we know what a district collector did that caused people to suffer.”
The Lok Sabha MP was hinting at K K Nair, a native of Kuttanad in Kerala’s Alappuzha, who was appointed the district magistrate of Faizabad in June 1949 months before the idol was placed in the Babri masjid now Ram Mandir.
He said that the truth is the BJP is in despair and disheartened, and the party is trying to appease its hardcore supporters.
‘Our rights are being curtailed’
“Mr Speaker, you and our rights are being curtailed. Remember I told you that you are the judge of democracy and Mr Speaker, I have heard in the lobby that many of your rights are being taken away. We all will fight for you,” said Akhilesh.
Union home minister Amit Shah quickly intervened and said the Speaker has rights over the entire House.
“Akhilesh ji, iss tarah ki golmol baat aap nahi kar sakte..Aap nahi ho Speaker ke adhikar ke sanrakshak. (You cannot speak in such evasive terms. You are not the custodian of the Speaker’s rights),” said Amit Shah.
However, Akhilesh Yadav replied, “The Bill has been brought because the BJP has just faced a poll debacle.”
With 40 proposed changes, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill seeks to repeal several provisions of the current Waqf Act, which governs Waqf Boards. It also suggests significant modifications, including measures to ensure representation for Muslim women and non-Muslims in these bodies.
