Rush Hour: Waqf Bill tabled in Lok Sabha, TN seeks retrieval of island from Sri Lanka & more

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The Waqf Amendment Bill, which seeks to reduce the authority of waqf boards and increase government control over them, was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday. The bill proposes amendments to 44 sections of the Waqf Act, 1995, including allowing non-Muslims on waqf boards, restricting property donations and changing how waqf tribunals function.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi alleged that the Bill aimed to defame minorities and divide Indian society. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav said it was part of a strategy to maintain the government’s vote bank.

The Janata Dal (United) and Telugu Desam Party, both allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party, expressed support for the bill. As the BJP does not have a majority in the Lok Sabha by itself, it may need the support of these parties to pass the Bill. Read on.

In garb of ‘amendments’, waqf bill intends to undo one of India’s oldest Muslim institutions

The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a resolution urging the Centre to retrieve Katchatheevu island from Sri Lanka. Chief Minister MK Stalin said the move was necessary to protect Tamil Nadu fishermen’s traditional rights...

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