Karnataka CM flays NDA govt. over Waqf Bill, says it's against minorities

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday flayed the NDA government over its plan to amend the law governing Waqf boards, saying the move shows that it’s against minorities. The Bill has proposed far-reaching changes in the present Act, including ensuring the representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims in such bodies.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill also seeks to rename the Waqf Act, 1995, as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.

“The NDA government is totally against the minorities in this country, they are not for secularism, they are not for social justice. We have been telling the people of the country that they are communal parties, they are casteists, that’s why they are doing like that,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here in response to a question.

Centre is all set to introduce the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995 in the Parliament this week to amend the Waqf Act 1995.

The proposed legislation “omits Section 40 relating to the powers of Board to decide if a property is waqf property.”