The Congress party held a meeting of its MPs to discuss a range of issues, including the Waqf Amendment Bill and the crisis in Bangladesh.

New Delhi [India], August 8: Congress Lok Sabha MPs, led by Rahul Gandhi, met at the Parliament House Annexe on Thursday to discuss several pressing issues, including the upcoming introduction of the Waqf Amendment Bill. The meeting also addressed the Bangladesh crisis, China-related concerns, and recent Supreme Court judgments.

Deputy Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, noted that the meeting involved a thorough discussion on various topics and emphasized the party's stance on the Waqf Amendment Bill. "We had a productive discussion, and Rahul Gandhi encouraged us to address the people's issues. Various parties, including ours, oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, and we will clearly state our position when the bill is introduced," Gogoi said.

Ahead of the bill's introduction, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala criticized the opposition, alleging that their resistance to the Waqf Amendment Bill reflects a stance against transparency and good governance. He claimed that the opposition's actions favor land grabbers over the interests of the Muslim community.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also condemned the bill, accusing the BJP of using the amendments to facilitate the sale of Waqf Board lands and labeling the BJP as more interested in land than people. Yadav called for a written guarantee to prevent the sale of Waqf Board lands.

Congress MP KC Venugopal and Congress MP Hibi Eden have submitted notices opposing the introduction of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Lok Sabha. The Samajwadi Party also plans to oppose the bill.

The BJP-led government is set to introduce the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aims to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to address issues related to the powers of State Waqf Boards, registration and survey of waqf properties, and removal of encroachments. Additionally, Kiren Rijiju will introduce The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, seeking to repeal the Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 proposes renaming the Waqf Act, 1995 to the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995, and aims to clarify the definition of "waqf" and ensure women's inheritance rights in Waqf-alal-aulad situations.