Owaisi questions mosque surveys asking: ‘If I dig up this Parliament..'
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New Delhi: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said in the Lok Sabha that the Centre was trying to ‘snatch away’ Waqf properties, NDTV reported.
Owaisi’s remarks came days after the Supreme Court paused the surveys of places of worship, including mosques.
During a debate on 75 years of the Constitution of India, the Hyderabad MP said ‘Today, I am being asked if there was a mosque 500 years ago... If I dig up this Parliament and something will be found, will it become mine?’
Referring to Dr. BR Ambedkar , Owaisi said ‘What Babasaheb said 75 years ago remains absolutely true even today - no one wants the minority to share power’.
Citing Articles 25, 26, 29, 30, 14, and 21, the Hyderabad MP further said these fundamental rights form the foundation, but added:’ By focusing on these, I will illustrate whether justice has truly been served to the weaker sections of society’.
He said that the goal of the Waqf Amendment bill is to ‘snatch away Waqf properties ‘, saying:’ You want to snatch it away on the basis of your strength’.
‘Read Article 26, it gives religious denominations, the right to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes. Prime Minister says that Waqf has nothing to do with the Constitution. Who is teaching the PM? Make him read Article 26,’ he was quoted as saying.
Responding to the Opposition’s criticism that the amendments proposed by the bill would violate religious rights of Muslims, the government said that it would bring in transparency to functioning of waqf boards alongside making them accountable.