UDF MP Francis George backs Waqf (Amendment) Bill

Kochi/Kottayam, Jan 23 (PTI) A UDF MP from Kerala has said that he would support the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, presented in Parliament by the BJP-led Centre.

Senior Kerala Congress (Joseph) party leader and its lone member in the Lok Sabha, Francis George, has said that, as a people's representative and as a representative of a political party, he would support the new Bill.

The Kerala Congress (Joseph) is a key partner of the Congress-led UDF in Kerala.

George articulated his stand recently while speaking at the conclusion of the 24-hour day-and-night protest organised in Munambam, near Kochi, as part of the relay hunger strike being carried out by the people there to reclaim their revenue rights over the land claimed by the Waqf Board.

He described the present Waqf Act as a "draconian law" that cannot be accepted by anyone in a democratic country.

"So, this law should not be accepted. A change is required," George said, referring to various clauses in the Act.

The Kottayam MP stated that there had been efforts to reach a consensus when the amendment Bill was brought to Parliament, but "unfortunately" it was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

The Congress-led alliance has not reacted to the Kerala Congress (Joseph) leader's stand, which is in contrast to its official position on the matter.

Welcoming the stand taken by George, BJP leader Shone George said that a Christian MP has shown that he has a backbone. "It is hoped that this will be demonstrated in Parliament as well," he said in a Facebook post.

Shone George also urged other MPs, such as Jose K Mani, Dean Kuriakose, Anto Antony, Hibi Eden, John Brittas, and Benny Behanan, to clarify their stance on the matter.

The BJP's Kottayam district leadership questioned whether the stance of Kerala Congress (Joseph) MLA Mons Joseph aligns with that of Francis George. "If so, Joseph should openly declare it," BJP Kottayam district president Lijin Lal said.

He noted that Joseph had supported the state government's resolution against the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Kerala Assembly without hesitation. However, after stepping out of the Assembly, he is now seen bowing and smiling before the affected people.

The Kerala Assembly had unanimously adopted a resolution against the proposed amendment to the Waqf Act by the Centre in October last year.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on August 8, following its introduction in the Lok Sabha by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.

This move was met with significant objections from opposition parties led by the Congress, who argued that the Bill is intended to target the Muslim community.

The Central government has said that the objective of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to address the issues and challenges in regulating and managing waqf properties.

It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous Act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf Boards by introducing changes such as renaming the Act, updating the definitions of waqf, improving the registration process, and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records. PTI COR TGB ADB