Private member bill to repeal Waqf Act introduced in Rajya Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): A private member bill by BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav seeking to repeal the Waqf Act, 1995, was introduced in Rajya Sabha after a division of votes amid strong protests by opposition parties.
The Waqf Repeal Bill 2022 was moved for introduction by BJP member Harnath Singh Yadav. This was vehemently opposed by members of several parties, including the Congress, TMC, DMK, CPI, CPI (M), and RJD and led to a division of votes.
The introduction of the bill was approved after 53 members, mostly from the treasury benches, voted in favour while 32 opposed the move.
Yadav introduced the bill after that and it will be taken up for discussion later.
Opposing the bill at the introductory stage, Elamaram Kareem of CPI (M) said Waqf Board runs many religious places and orphanages in the country.
Touching such a sensitive issue will create communal division among the people, he said. "So it should not be admitted. It should be rejected. That is my contention."
His party colleague John Brittas said the only objective of the bill is to create animosity and polarisation amongst different sections of the population. "This will have a far-reaching impact in society and a member from the ruling party should not indulge in such bills which creates polarisation and disharmony, which is obviously against the tenants of the Constitution," he added.
Sandosh Kumar P (CPI) voiced similar opinion while opposing the introduction of the bill.
Tiruchi Siva (DMK) also strongly opposed the introduction.
V Sivadasan (CPI-M) said the private member bill is trying to create communal venom.
Jawhar Sircar (TMC), Syed Naseer Hussain (Congress), Fauzia Khan (NCP), Mahua Maji (JMM), and Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD) also expressed their strong reservation on the bill.
The Chair did not allow Rakesh Sinha (nominated) to speak as only those who were opposing the bill were permitted to present their point of views.
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'Go back to your own country': Indian-origin taxi driver attacked in Dublin
London, Aug 5 (PTI): An Indian-origin taxi driver based in Ireland for over 23 years has become the latest to be targeted in an unprovoked attack in the capital Dublin, with local police (Gardai) launching an investigation into the violent assault.
Lakhvir Singh, in his 40s, told local media that he picked up two young men in their 20s on Friday night and dropped them at Poppintree, in the Ballymun suburb of Dublin.
Upon arriving at the destination, the men are said to have opened the vehicle door and struck him twice on the head with a bottle. As the suspects fled, they reportedly shouted: "Go back to your own country".
"In 10 years I've never seen anything like this happen," Singh told ‘Dublin Live’.
"I'm really scared now and I'm off the road at the moment. It will be very hard to go back. My children are really scared," he said.
A Dublin police spokesperson said Singh was taken to the city's Beaumont Hospital with injuries determined as not life-threatening.
"Gardaí are investigating an assault reported to have occurred in Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin 11 at approximately 11:45 pm on Friday, 1st August 2025. A man, aged in his 40s, was brought to Beaumont Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injury. Investigations are ongoing," the spokesperson said.
The incident followed an Indian Embassy advisory, also issued on Friday, expressing safety concerns following recent attacks in and around the capital Dublin and urging Indian citizens to take safety precautions.
"There has been an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently,” states the advisory.
“The embassy is in touch with the authorities concerned in Ireland in this regard. At the same time, all Indian citizens in Ireland are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially at odd hours," the statement reads, adding emergency embassy contact details as 0899423734 and cons.dublin@mea.gov.in.
It came in the wake of a brutal attack on a 40-year-old Indian man at Parkhill Road in the Tallaght suburb of Dublin on July 19, described as “mindless, racist violence” by locals.
The Gardai had opened an investigation into the case and Indian Ambassador to Ireland Akhilesh Mishra was among those who took to social media to express shock over the attack.
“Regarding the recent incident of physical attack on an Indian national that happened in Tallaght, Dublin, the embassy is in touch with the victim and his family. All the requisite assistance is being offered. The embassy is also in touch with the relevant Irish authorities in this regard,” the embassy said in a social media post days after the incident.
A Stand Against Racism protest was also held by the local community in condemnation of what was described as a "vicious racist attack" and to express solidarity with migrants.
Last week, Dr Santosh Yadav took to LinkedIn to post details of a “brutal, unprovoked racist attack”.
The entrepreneur and AI expert stressed that it was not an isolated incident and called for “concrete measures” from the governments of Ireland and India to ensure Indians feel safe to walk the streets of Dublin.
His post revealed that a group of six teenagers attacked him from behind as he walked to his apartment in Dublin.
“This is not an isolated incident. Racist attacks on Indian men and other minorities are surging across Dublin — on buses, in housing estates, and on public streets. Yet, the government is silent. There is no action being taken against these perpetrators. They run free and are emboldened to attack again,” reads Yadav's post.
Fine Gael party Councillor for Tallaght South, Baby Pereppadan, was among those who expressed concern following last month’s attack.
“People need to understand that many Indian people moving to Ireland are here on work permits, to study and work in the healthcare sector or in IT and so on, providing critical skills,” he said.
Another violent anti-Indian attack in Ireland
— Journalist V (@OnTheNewsBeat) August 5, 2025
Taxi driver Lakhvir Singh was attacked with glass bottles while doing his job pic.twitter.com/mtkwhLWISx
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