This is the Right Time to Free India from the Fear of Waqf: Anurag Singh Thakur

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Former Union Minister and Member of Parliament from Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, while speaking in the Lok Sabha on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, stated that the opposition compromised the Constitution for vote bank politics and that this is the right time to free India from the fear of Waqf. Shri Anurag Singh Thakur said, “The Modi government has always stood with the backward classes, women, the underprivileged, and the weak, and will continue to do so. Those opposing this Waqf Amendment Bill do not actually want to see any improvement in the condition of the poor, the underprivileged, and Muslim women in the country. Even the Sachar Committee had exposed the irregularities in Waqf boards. The 2005 Sachar Committee report mentioned that the income of the Waqf Board was only ₹163 crore due to rampant corruption. The report also stated that if Waqf properties were properly managed, their annual income could be around ₹12,000 crore.”

Shri Anurag Singh Thakur further stated, “Islamic countries that are often cited as examples do not have Waqf properties, but in India, a different game has been played since 1954. Countries like Turkey, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Tunisia, and Iraq do not have Waqf. The Waqf Amendment Bill introduced by Prime Minister Modi is a boon for the oppressed and marginalized sections of society. For several decades, some political parties have used this law to secure their vote banks. Gradually, it became a tool for land mafias, who usurped land from the poor. This has not only affected people of a particular religion or community but has harmed the poor across all religions and communities. Waqf is anti-women and anti-poor Muslims. A false narrative is being spread that this amendment will seize all properties of the Muslim community, whereas the truth is that Waqf is a curse for the common people, and this is the right time to free India from its fear.”

Shri Anurag Singh Thakur also remarked, “Several Congress leaders have been implicated in Waqf-related scams. Many of their leaders in Karnataka have personally benefited in the name of Waqf, and this is publicly known. The opposition compromised the Constitution solely for vote bank politics. The Modi government’s Waqf Amendment Bill is a direct strike at the root of injustice. The provisions of this amendment will help the government free Waqf properties from illegal encroachments. In Hyderabad, 75% of Waqf properties are illegally occupied, while in Mumbai, this figure stands at 60%. The situation in the country had reached a point where any property Waqf laid claim to would automatically become theirs. Now, it is time to decide whether you stand with Waqf or with Babasaheb’s Constitution. This bill sends a clear message that in this country, Babasaheb’s Constitution will prevail, not Mughal decrees. This bill marks the end of appeasement politics.”