SC’s Waqf Order: BJP hails, Congress silent

Supreme Court’s stay on the controversial Waqf Amendment Act

• Following the Supreme Court’s order on Monday on the controversial Waqf Amendment Act, BJP leaders praised the ruling, saying it aligns with the law’s goals of welfare and administrative reform.
• Congress said they would wait for the final judgment before commenting, while Muslim bodies welcomed partial stay but reiterated their demand for a complete stop of the implementation.

What did BJP have to say?

• Following the Supreme Court’s order in the Waqf Amendment Act, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the court has the right to scrutinize any law of Parliament, and the government has presented their side.
• Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi clamped down on the alleged corruption and mismanagement of the Waqf properties by the State Waqf Board.
• He also said, “Unfortunately, the corrupt lobby wants a license to loot…That is why they are trying to create uproar, commotion and imaginary illusions. They are people who made the whole system of Waqf ‘touch me not’… They want a formula of communal entry or no entry in this secular country. No one from another religion can become a part of this administrative law… No kind of communal attack should be accepted on this.”
• Naqvi further added that the order of the apex court is for the improvement in the entire Waqf system and “purely for the protection of faith and reform of order”.
• Union Minister Kiren Rijiju applauded the apex court and said, “The case was presented in great detail. On behalf of the government, our solicitor general has presented in detail the provisions of the Act and its intention and the government’s thinking, in the Supreme Court and I believe that whatever the Supreme Court bench has decided is a very good sign for our democracy, because when any law is made in the Parliament, it cannot be reject and this is what the Supreme Court has approved today… I am satisfied with the judgment of the Supreme Court, and because it is the highest court of the country, whenever any decision comes from the Supreme Court, it has an impact, and in a way, the decision of the Parliament of India has been upheld.”
• Following the stay on the provision that a person should be practicing Islam for at least 5 years till rules are framed by State Governments to offer mechanism to determine this question, Rijiju said, “We will see the case of a practising Muslim and what should be included in the rules”.

What did Congress and others have to say?

• Congress MP Tariq Anwar said, “It will not be right to give any comment immediately. Until the full judgment is out, and we have seen and read it, only after that will it be appropriate to make any comment.”
• MLC and ex-Minister of State Mohsin Raza lauded the decision of the apex court saying that the Modi government makes decisions for the welfare of the public.
• Chairman of the Islamic Center of India Khalid Rashid Firangi lauded the stay on the requirement of practicing Islam for at least 5 years.
• Khalid Rashid Firangi said, “Today the SC in its interim order has not given a complete stay on the Act but has stayed certain provisions, and we welcome those provisions, especially Sections 3 and 4, and the requirement of being a practicing Muslim for five years.”
• Khalid demanded a complete stay on the entire Act but the court has not given such an order.
• “However, the Court has stayed many provisions, and we welcome the stay on certain provisions, such as a person who wants to make a Waqf should be a practising Muslim for at least 5 years,” he added.
• Khalid stated that the apex court has clarified that the CEO should be from the Muslim community, and the overriding powers vested upon the District Collector to decide whether a given property is a Waqf or not have also been stayed.
• “The stay on Sections 3 and 4 is a very welcome step, and we expect that whenever the final decision comes, we will be given 100% relief,” Khalid said.
• The Supreme Court did not stay the provision to allow a non-Muslim to be the CEO of a State Waqf Board.
• Commenting on the same, Uttar Pradesh Minister OP Rajbhar stated, “Supreme Court has permitted the inclusion of three other non-Muslim individuals in it… the Supreme Court’s decision will be respected… the government was also saying the same thing that people from other communities should also be in that committee.”

Editor’s Note

• As the Supreme Court issued a partial stay on the controversial Waqf Amendment Act, BJP hailed the judgment, while Congress declined to comment, whereas, the Muslim bodies reiterated the demand for complete stay, it will be interesting to see what the apex court decides to do next.