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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Uttarakhand Assembly passes censure motion against opposition over women's reservation bill
Dehradun (PTI): The Uttarakhand Assembly passed a censure motion against the Congress and other opposition parties on Tuesday for allegedly blocking the passage of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, in Parliament.
The motion, which expressed the House's formal disapproval of the opposition's conduct, triggered a massive uproar by Congress members, leading to the adjournment of the House sine die.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Subodh Uniyal moved the censure motion, citing the "uncooperative attitude" of opposition parties toward the bill seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative bodies.
Addressing a special daylong session convened specifically to discuss "Nari Samman -- Rights in Democracy", Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the bill's passage would have benefitted every political party.
Dhami noted that after delimitation, the number of Assembly seats in the hill state would have gone up to 105, with 35 reserved for women. He added that the number of Lok Sabha seats from Uttarakhand would have risen from five to seven or eight.
"The opposition fears that if women from ordinary households enter politics, the shops of dynastic politics run by certain parties will shut down," the chief minister claimed.
He compared the opposition's conduct in Parliament to the assembly in Mahabharat where Draupadi was insulted. Dhami further likened the opposition's behaviour to the "arrogance of Ravan".
The chief minister highlighted his government's initiatives, asserting that Uttarakhand was the first state to implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) to protect women's rights. He said the UCC freed Muslim women from practices like "halala", "iddat", polygamy and child marriage.
Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya questioned the technical feasibility of the bill, calling the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) claims of providing reservation by 2029 "misleading".
He argued that the bill is linked to census and delimitation processes. The Congress leader said the 2026 census would conclude by 2027 and the final data publication would take two more years.
"The delimitation process will take another six years. The actual implementation of this bill is not possible before 2034," Arya said, describing the move as a strategy to protect the BJP's "political ground".
The session also saw high drama outside the Assembly gates, where Congress MLA Virendra Jati staged a protest, demanding the payment of "outstanding" dues to farmers by sugar mills.
Jati arrived at the Assembly's main gate with a tractor-trolley loaded with sugarcane and dumped it on the road. The move brought the traffic to a halt, prompting traffic and security personnel to intervene and clear the area.
Women Congress workers also staged a demonstration against the "anti-people policies" of the state government.
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