 "Owaisi slammed for tearing Waqf Bill copy in Lok Sabha as mark of protest")
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) supremo Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday night tore a copy of the Waqf Amendment Bill tabled on the floor of the Lok Sabha.
Staging a symbolic protest in Parliament, the Hyderabad MP cited Mahatma Gandhi’s time while he was in South Africa, a move which did not sit well with several members of the ruling party.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament and Joint Parliamentary Committee Chairman Jagadambika Pal criticised Asaduddin Owaisi’s symbolic protest, describing it as an unconstitutional act after he tore a copy of the Bill.
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju joined to condemn the act, stating that Owaisi had raised objections over provisions for Muslim children under the Waqf and why is no such provision being made for Hindus.
Other than members of the ruling party, Owaisi’s move has also been criticised by the Uttarakhand Waqf Board chairman, Shadab Shams. Calling it an “insult” to the constitution, Shams noted that while protesting is allowed, one has to maintain some boundaries. He further appealed to the Muslim community not to be misled by Owaisi and said, “Those opposing the amendments to the concerned Act were the ‘Waqf mafia’ and they feared their properties would go to the poor Muslims.”
What was Owaisi’s stand?
The AIMIM leader said if one reads history, one would find what Mahatma Gandhi had said about the laws of white South Africa, according to a PTI report.
Quoting Gandhi, Owaisi noted that his conscience doesn't accept it and tore it up. “Like Gandhi, I am also tearing up this law. This is unconstitutional. The BJP wants to create divisiveness in this country in the name of temples and mosques. I condemn this and I request you to accept the 10 amendments,” he said.
Owaisi is one of the many opposition leaders who have termed the Bill ‘anti-Muslim’.
Several opposition leaders claimed that the Bill undermines the autonomy of waqf institutions. Owaisi further added that it is going to curb the rights of the Muslims and that they would be treated unfairly.
Waqf Amendment Bill 2025
The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, late Wednesday night after a 12-hour discussion on the issue. The Bill was passed with a 288 majority and will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha today. It aims to improve the administration of Waqf properties in the nation.
[With inputs from PTI]