Rafale deal is Rs 40k Cr worth scandal: Siddaramaiah
Talented students feted at Mysuru working journalists association
Mysuru, August 26: Former chief minister Siddaramaiah said that "the Congress has been educating the people about the Rafale deal scandal happened in the Defense Ministry. AICC president Rahul Gandhi has raised the issue in the Parliament. The Rafale deal is a scandal worth Rs 40,000 crore".
Felicitating the talented students at a felicitation programme organised by the district working journalists association here on Sunday, he said that the Congress would come to the streets and educate the people about the BJP 's mask in the scam. But it has no political motive. This is not a small scandal. It is one of the biggest ever scandals in the Defense Ministry, he said.
The Congress has fielded 63 candidates in the Mysuru city corporation election. The Congress believed in decentralisation. The Congress had brought in reservation in local bodies during the tenure of Rajiv Gandhi due to which women, faults and backwards classes have got opportunity. It was because of Congress that the women have got 50% reservation. But the BJP had opposed it. In fact, Rama Joyis had moved the Supreme Court against the issue. The BJP has been opposing the reservation in government and local bodies. But the Congress has been advocating social justice and equality , he said.
Both JDS and BJP could not come to power independently in Mysuru city corporation. His government has given Rs 2,530 crore for the development of Mysuru city. The development works that happened in the city was evidence for that. The city did not see any Development when the JDS and BJP were in power in the corporation. Because of Congress, the city was in number one in development. Considering the development, people should vote Congress candidates, he said.
Because of the false propaganda of the BJP, the Congress has lost the earlier election. Now people have understood the BJP and the Congress would certainly win the election, he exuded confidence.
The coalition government has decided to waive off the loans taken from private money lenders and it was in the common minimum program list of the government. He has said that he would become the chief minister again as the Congress would get the majority in the next election. Regarding reservation in promotion, the government has enacted a law and the Supreme Court would see to it, he said.
Regarding Defense Minister visit to Kodagu, he said that the minister came and went. No relief was announced. Is it right? Is not it the duty of the central government? The centre should immediately announce Rs 1000 crore compensation to Kodagu,. He would thank the people who stood with the Kodagu people who in distress. The centre should have announced the relief instead of waiting for the letter from the state government. The attitude of the Defense Minister was too much. She hasn't behaved as the Union Minister. The way the Union Minister behaved with the state Minister was Not acceptable. Nirmala Sitharaman who was elected to rajya sabha from Karnataka should not have acted like that, Siddaramaiah said.
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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.
