- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday expressed surprise over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, not taking part in the marathon debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha during the budget session of Parliament.
Rijiju, who replied to the debate in the two Houses, told this news agency in an interview that Rahul Gandhi apparently wanted “to play safe game” by not taking part in the Waqf Amendment Bill debate. Congress and other parties of the INDIA bloc had strongly opposed the Bill.
He stated, “I was surprised. Even Priyanka Gandhi was not present during the voting. She was absent, and Rahul Gandhi came much later to vote. He didn’t take part in the proceedings, nor did he speak. I feel that one of the reasons could be there is huge pressure from the Christian community for the Congress party and other MPs to support the Waqf Amendment Bill. That could be one of the reasons. Secondly, maybe, he wants to play a safe game because this bill is a landmark bill, and whatever you speak will remain as a record.”
“So he played a smart game, maybe. But for me, it’s not a smart game. This is an important bill that the important leaders should have spoken…From our party side, I led the debate with the presentation of the Bill and the Home Minister intervened. Some senior MPs had a very good presentation on the debate. So, the Leader of the Opposition didn’t speak. Well, that’s up to him. But I was also a bit surprised,” he added.
Rijiju said Christian community groups in Kerala had already expressed their support for the Bill. While Priyanka Gandhi is MP from Wayanad in Kerala, Rahul Gandhi has also represented the constituency.
“The Kerala Christian groups they had made it very loud and clear that this bill has to be passed, and the larger Christian organisations, which are all India-based, they also made a very ardent appeal. That could be one of the factors,” he added.
In his speech in Rajya Sabha during debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill, Rijju had cited the case of 600 Christian families from Munambam in Kerala who are contesting the waqf board’s claim over the land.
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) and Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) were among organisations that supported the Waqf Amendment Bill. Syro-Malabar Church had later hailed the passage of the Bill.
Rijiju, who is also Parliamentary Affairs Minister, said that India has the largest Waqf properties in the world and questioned why these properties are not being used for the welfare of the larger Muslim community.
