Govt withdraws The Waqf Properties (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants), Bill, 2014
New Delhi, Aug 8: The government on Thursday withdrew the Waqf Properties (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Bill 2014, which sought to provide for a mechanism for the eviction of unauthorised occupants from waqf properties, in Rajya Sabha.
The Waqf Properties (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants), Bill, 2014 was introduced in Rajya Sabha on February 18, 2014 by erstwhile minority affairs minister K Rahman Khan.
It was referred to the Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice on March 5, 2014.
Assets dedicated for religious or charitable purposes are referred as Waqf properties.
Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju sought the leave of the House to withdraw the bill and the withdrawal was approved by voice vote in Rajya Sabha by the members.
CPI (M) MP John Brittas and IUML MP Abdul Wahab opposed the withdrawal of the bill in the Upper House.
Explaining about his stand, Brittas said the bill was introduced in Rajaya Sabha precisely because it was intended to free the properties of Waqf properties.
The objectives of the bill are model objective which should be adhered to, he pointed out, and added that this government deliberately delayed getting confirmation of the House and the Parliament.
He stated that this bill is being withdrawn precisely to bring another bill to encroach upon Waqf properties, (with) diametrically opposite intention.
"The intention of the government is suspect. They want to create polarisation in the society. They want to polarise the Indian people. They want to play politics," he alleged.
He opined that the government has no business to get into Waqf properties and the new bill which has been circulated is against the spirit of this Waqf properties.
He alleged that the government is diluting the Waqf Act and trying to bring non-Muslims into Waqf governing.
"I would urge the government that at a time when we have so much examples coming from neighbouring countries, we should be striving to ensure the social fabric of this country remains intact," he said.
About withdrawal of the bill, Wahab said, "We fear that you have some plans behind. That plan came open when our minister circulated the (new) bill.
He said the intention of the (new) bill is not good and urged the government to reconsider it.
"Don't give all the powers to IAS officer (to decide on Waqf properties)," he added.
Earlier, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal introduced The Boilers Bill, 2024 to provide for the regulation of boilers, safety of life and property of persons from the danger of explosions of steam-boilers and for uniformity in registration and inspection during manufacturing, erection and use of boilers in the country.
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Operation Sindoor: Zubair exposes fake news after India’s strikes on Pakistan
New Delhi: India launched “Operation Sindoor” early Wednesday morning, targeting nine terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). According to reports, 24 missile strikes were carried out in response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. The operation reportedly killed around 70 terrorists.
Soon after the strikes, a flood of videos and photos began circulating on social media and TV channels. However, many of these turned out to be false or misleading.
Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of Alt News, has been fact-checking these claims since early morning. He confirmed that many of the videos shared online were actually from other global conflicts, such as those involving Israel, Gaza, and Iran. Some videos were even taken from video games and falsely shared as real footage of the Indian attack.
Pakistan also claimed that it shot down two Indian aircraft. Zubair clarified that this claim is false and that only drones were downed, not manned aircraft.
News Channel Republic TV, aired videos claiming to show the strikes. Zubair revealed that the footage in question was both old and edited, and not a real-time video of the current incident.
Several social media users have shared videos showing explosions in Gaza, falsely claiming they depict Wednesday’s Israeli attack. However, Zubair has traced the original sources of these clips and confirmed that they are unrelated to the recent Indian operation.
Zubair’s efforts to counter misinformation have been widely appreciated on social media. Some users went as far as suggesting he deserves the Bharat Ratna for his work. Others noted that the kind of fact-checking done by Alt News could cost the government up to ₹100 crore if done officially.
