Amit Shah's claim of NIA arresting Kanhaiya Lal murder accused a 'lie': Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot
Jaipur, Jun 30: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said Union Home Minister Amit Shah's claim that the NIA arrested the accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case was a "lie" and added the state police nabbed them within four hours of the crime in Udaipur.
Soon after Shah made the claim while addressing a rally in Udaipur, the chief minister hit back at him and said he would probably be aware that the two accused were "active BJP workers".
He also demanded an inquiry to expose the "BJP leaders" who helped the accused.
Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor, was murdered on June 28 last year by two men who had accused him of insulting Islam after he allegedly posted content on social media in support of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma.
Referring to the incident, Shah told the rally in Udaipur that the Ashok Gehlot government did not even want to catch the accused and the NIA had caught them.
Gehlot sharply reacted to his remarks and tweeted in Hindi, "It is expected that people holding responsible positions will not do politics on a serious issue like terrorism but what Union Home Minister Amit Shah did in Udaipur today is an irresponsible act."
He said that Shah "lied" that Kanhaiya Lal's killers Riyaz Attari and Ghous Mohammed were caught by the NIA.
"The truth is that they were caught by Rajasthan Police in just four hours of the incident. This tragic incident took place on June 28, 2022 while the file of this case was transferred to the NIA on July 2, 2022," the chief minister said.
Claiming that the accused duo were "active BJP workers", Gehlot said Shah "should get an inquiry done to ascertain who were the BJP leaders who helped these two, who used to call the police stations for them."
The chief minister also asked why did it take a long time to file a charge sheet in an open-and-shut case like this one and why have they not been punished yet.
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Parliament passes Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025
New Delhi (PTI): Parliament early Friday passed the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after it was approved by the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha had on Thursday approved the Bill after over a 12-hour debate.
In Rajya Sabha, the Bill got 128 votes in its favour and 95 against after all the amendments moved by the opposition were rejected.
In the lower house, the bill was supported by 288 MPs while 232 voted against it.
Participating in a debate in the Rajya Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Bill was brought with a number of amendments based on suggestions given by various stakeholders.
"The Waqf Board is a statutory body. All government bodies should be secular," the minister said, explaining the inclusion of non-Muslims on the board.
He, however, said the number of non-Muslims has been restricted to only four out of 22.
Rijiju also alleged that the Congress and other opposition parties, and not the BJP, were trying to scare Muslims with the Waqf Bill.
"You (opposition) are pushing Muslims out of the mainstream," he added.
He said for 60 years, the Congress and others ruled the country, but did not do much for Muslims and the community continues to live in poverty.
"Muslims are poor, who is responsible? You (Congress) are. Modi is now leading the government to uplift them," the minister said.
According to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Waqf tribunals will be strengthened, a structured selection process will be maintained, and a tenure will be fixed to ensure efficient dispute resolution.
As per the Bill, while Waqf institutions' mandatory contribution to Waqf boards is reduced from 7 per cent to 5 per cent, Waqf institutions earning over Rs 1 lakh will undergo audits by state-sponsored auditors.
A centralised portal will automate Waqf property management, improving efficiency and transparency.
The Bill proposes that practising Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their property to the Waqf, restoring pre-2013 rules.
It stipulates that women must receive their inheritance before the Waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans.
The Bill proposes that an officer above the rank of collector investigate government properties claimed as Waqf.
It also proposes that non-Muslim members be included in the central and state Waqf boards for inclusivity.
