Centre targeting Muslims with Waqf Amendment Bill lacks majority to pass it in Parliament Mamata

    Kolkata, Dec 2 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday slammed the BJP-led central government over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, accusing it of targeting Muslims. She also expressed doubts on its passage in Parliament.
    Touching upon the reduction of the minority Hindu population in Bangladesh and the ongoing unrest in the neighbouring country, she questioned the Centre's alleged inaction in the matter.

    The chief minister, during a debate in the West Bengal assembly on a resolution opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led central government, accusing it of "fostering divisiveness, neglecting Constitutional norms, and mishandling issues like Bangladesh's minorities, the NRC, UCC, and CAA".

    Banerjee alleged that the Centre had "bypassed" state governments over the matter and criticised the "lack of dialogue" on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024.

    “The Centre did not consult us on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill,” she claimed.

    Banerjee also questioned the timing and process of the proposed legislation, stating, "The budget session is in February. Will you not discuss this Bill with the state before that? Is there no time for it? Will you not consult the state? We raised objections after noticing an advertisement."

    She accused the Centre of pushing a "divisive agenda" by singling out Muslims.

    "Why is a single religion being targeted in the name of this Waqf (Amendment) Bill? Why are Muslims being targeted? Would you dare to do the same with the properties of various Hindu temple trusts or churches? The answer is no. But, targeting a specific community suits your divisive agenda,” Banerjee claimed.

    “Will the BJP be able to pass this Bill in Parliament as it lacks a two-thirds majority?” she asked.

    Banerjee made the remarks during the first day of a two-day discussion on a resolution opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, moved under Rule 169 by state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay.

    Banerjee criticised what she termed "misleading narratives around Waqf properties", calling these baseless allegations.

    "Religion is personal, but festivals are for everyone. Those who are suddenly changing their stance now used to say one thing yesterday, and today they say something completely different. It's all misleading and distorting,” she claimed.

    The Trinamool Congress chief criticised the BJP for "making opposition members silent" during the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) deliberations on the Bill.

    “In the JPC, opposition members are not allowed to speak. That is why they have boycotted it,” Banerjee claimed.

    She claimed that a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was formed because of public pressure and alleged that her party’s MPs were excluded from discussions.

    "Their visits were cancelled. They were supposed to come to Kolkata. Why are they afraid of Kolkata? Surely, there’s something fishy about this," she claimed.

    Banerjee emphasised that constitutional norms must be respected.

    "We cannot interfere with others’ independence. The Constitution does not give us that right. Do you (BJP) have a majority? First, it has to be passed in Lok Sabha, then Rajya Sabha. You will need a two-thirds majority to pass this," she remarked.

    On the situation in Bangladesh, the CM said the Union government should take steps to protect Hindus in the neighbouring country.

    "If the minority population in Bangladesh has decreased, is that our fault? Why didn’t the central government address this issue? Were they sitting idle? We tried to bring many from there but couldn’t. Many Hindus wanted to come here. We provided food for them, but you don’t know that. Many Muslims also came here," she claimed.

    Banerjee pointed out the alleged communal undertones in political rhetoric by the BJP leaders, saying, "Are Muslims living only in this country? Don’t they live in other countries? Then why do you target Bengal? Whether fortunate or unfortunate, this country got divided into three parts."

    She recounted the Beldanga incident, where communal tensions flared up a few weeks back.

    "During the Kartik Puja, abusive remarks were made against me in lighting displays. In another place, there were abusive remarks about a specific community in the lighting. Despite multiple warnings, they didn’t listen, leading to clashes. I stayed awake the entire night, along with the DGP and the chief secretary."
    The chief minister spoke about her efforts to preserve heritage sites. "Vivekananda’s house could have been encroached upon and turned into a multi-story building. We acquired and restored Sister Nivedita’s house," she said.
    Banerjee also lauded Belur Math's inclusive ethos.
    "We cannot interfere with one’s religious property. I saw a dargah there, and a Maharaj told me it had been there from the beginning. Seeing it made me feel that Hinduism is truly great," she said.
    The chief minister took a dig at the Centre over the alleged exclusionary nature of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
    "Forget about Waqf. Talk about why minorities were excluded from CAA. How many people were excluded from the citizen's charter due to the NRC in Assam? Mistakes have consequences, as shown by the exclusion of many Hindus and Assamese...Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is for everyone. We all are one. Why are you targeting a specific religion?"
    "Let oppression stop in Bangladesh, and let oppression of minorities stop here too," she said, urging the Centre to withdraw "divisive" laws.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)