Waqf Bill an assault on Constitution, can hurt social harmony: Cong

The Congress on Sunday termed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, an “assault” on the Constitution. It alleged that the Bill attempts to damage “the centuries-old bonds of social harmony”.

Congress general secretary in-charge (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the Bill was also a part of the BJP’s attempts to “demonise minority communities by spreading propaganda and creating prejudices”. Terming the Bill as “deeply flawed”, he said, “The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is part of the BJP’s strategy and continuing attempts to damage the centuries-old bonds of social harmony in our multi-religious society.”

‘Remove Sec 44(3) of Data Protection Act’

• Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has urged Minister of Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw to repeal Section 44(3) of the Data Protection Act, 2023, saying it “destroyed” the RTI Act, 2005.
• In a letter to Vaishnaw, Ramesh said, “The Proviso in Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, 2005, which gives citizens equal right to information as legislators who represent them is totally eliminated.”
• Section 44 (3) of the Data Protection Act seeks to substitute Clause j (information which relates to personal information) in sub-section (1) of Section 8 of the Right to Information Act, 2005, Ramesh said.

He alleged that the Bill was an attempt to defame traditions and institutions of minority communities to keep the society in a state of permanent polarisation for electoral gains.

Ramesh alleged that all the institutions created by previous laws to administer Waqfs were actively sought to be reduced in stature, composition and authority to deliberately deprive the community the right to administer its own religious traditions and affairs.

“Deliberate ambiguity has been introduced for determining who can donate their land for Waqf purposes, thus altering the very definition of Waqf itself,” he said.

Ramesh claimed that the Waqf by-user concept developed by the nation’s judiciary on the basis of long, continued and uninterrupted customary usage is being abolished.

“Provisions in the existing law are being removed without any reason to weaken the administration of the Waqf. Enhanced defences are now being introduced in the law to protect those who have encroached on Waqf lands,” he claimed.

Ramesh further criticised the Bill saying that far-reaching powers had been given to the collector and other designated state government officers on matters related to disputes concerning Waqf properties as well as their registration.

“A 428-page report was literally bulldozed through the joint parliamentary committee without it ever having gone through a detailed clause-by-clause discussion. It thus violates all parliamentary practices,” Ramesh said.

“Most fundamentally, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is an assault on the Constitution of India itself,” the Congress leader asserted.