CM Siddaramaiah meets Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah arrived in the national capital on Thursday for a scheduled discussion with Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. His visit to the national capital comes in the face of intense protest by the BJP on alleged scams and rise in prices in the state.

Earlier, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi opposed the “Waqf (Amendment) Bill and said that it is a “weapon” aimed at marginalising Muslims and usurping their personal laws and property rights.

ದೆಹಲಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂದು ಪಕ್ಷದ ವರಿಷ್ಠರಾದ ರಾಹುಲ್ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಅವರನ್ನು ಭೇಟಿ ಮಾಡಿ, ಹಲವು ಮಹತ್ವದ ವಿಚಾರಗಳ ಕುರಿತಾಗಿ ಮಾತುಕತೆ ನಡೆಸಿದೆ. pic.twitter.com/0XrgDHnvLK

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 3, 2025

“The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a weapon aimed at marginalising Muslims and usurping their personal laws and property rights. This attack on the Constitution by the RSS, BJP and their allies is aimed at Muslims today but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future”, Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.

He further said, “The Congress party strongly opposes this legislation as it attacks the very idea of India and violates Article 25, the Right to Freedom of Religion”.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat attacked Rahul Gandhi and said, “I want to remind that if Shyama Prasad Mookherjee were not there, Rahul Gandhi would be standing in a line to seek a permit to start his Yatra in J&K. Never claim that our leaders were not involved in Independence Movement”.

Early on Thursday, the Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 after a marathon and heated debate, during which members of the INDIA bloc fiercely opposed the legislation while the BJP and its allies strongly supported it, saying it would bring transparency and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards.

The House sat beyond midnight to pass the legislation. Speaker Om Birla later announced the division’s result: “Subject to correction, Ayes 288, Noes 232. The majority is in favour of the proposal”, he said.

The government introduced the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation introduced in August last year. The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India.

It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records. (ANI)