New Delhi:
Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijuju, referring to the legal challenge for the revised Waqf Act, told NDTV today that he is “confident” that the Supreme Court “will not” in the legislative case “. He also said that Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announces that the amended law will not be implemented in the state, questioned whether she has any moral rights or constitutional right to occupy that situation.
The minister’s comment comes amid a growing line on the law, which has been challenged by many individuals and organizations in the Supreme Court, and Ms. Banerjee’s staunch claims in Bengal. The Supreme Court will hear petitions on Wednesday.
“I am confident that the Supreme Court will not enter the venture in a legislative case,” the minister told NDTV. “We have to respect each other. If tomorrow the government interferes with the judiciary, it will not be good. The separation of the powers is well defined,” he said.
He said, “I have not investigated any other bill … representation of one crore, a record in the Rajya Sabha, arguing the maximum sitting (Joint Parliamentary Committee) of JPC and the bill.”
Earlier, the Supreme Court had made it clear that it would not do the trespass in the legislature’s domain. But as a final arbiter on issues related to the Constitution, it has agreed to listen to the petitioners who claim that the amended law rubs on many fundamental rights, including the right to equality and the right to religious freedom.
Meanwhile, Mamta Banerjee – who refused to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizen and Uniform Civil Code last year – has now announced that the revised WAQF law will also be included in that category.
When asked about his stance, Mr. Rijiju said that Ms. Banerjee may not believe in the Constitution of India.
“What kind of bizarre statement is?” Mr. Rijiju told NDTV.
“Mamta or no one cares about the people? Do they consider Muslims as a vote bank only. It will be a black day, the moment they disregard … whoever says that they will not follow the Act passed by the Parliament of India – does he have any moral rights and constitutional rights to capture the situation and he captures the constitution book?
While the implementation of the law rests in the hands of the state governments, the BJP has said that the states have no power to bypass central laws.
“We want to clarify that after the 73rd and 74th amendments in the Constitution, the powers of the Center, State and District-level governments are clearly defined. No District Panchayat can be beyond the law passed by the state assembly and no state can bypassing the law passed by the Center (Parliament).”
The opposition has called the amended law unconstitutional, pointing to several controversial provisions, which includes two non-Muslim members compulsory in the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards, and it is a stipend that the persons who practiced Islam can donate assets for at least five years only.
In addition, under the proposed law, the government property, identified as WAQF, will join it and the local collector will determine its ownership.
The BJP has said that the bill was prepared after consulting a large part of the people and has the support of non-Muslim minorities. The bill has also investigated a joint parliamentary committee and several amendments suggested by the members have been included.
The government has argued that the bill is about property and its management, not religion.
The vast land and assets have been handled by WAQF and there were Largescale irregularities that did not allow the WAQF property to benefit the economically disadvantaged sections of the Muslim community, which would do the revised law, said that.
