The Chhattisgarh

Tag: Asaduddin Owaisi

  • Waqf Board’s Unlimited Powers To Be Trimmed; Asaduddin Owaisi Smells Conspiracy |

    The opposition might be in for a shock with the NDA government’s next move. It was anticipated that the BJP would play safe on the back foot. However, the Modi government is now bringing a bill that might be another bone of contention between the ruling alliance and the opposition INDIA bloc. The Centre is likely to table in Parliament a Bill to amend the 1995 law governing Waqf boards. The move is aimed at trimming the unlimited powers assigned to the waqf boards and ensuring more accountability and transparency in their functioning. The bill will also propose mandatory inclusion of women in these bodies. 

    ‘Hindutva Agenda’: Opposition

    While the government has claimed that the demand for reform came from within the Muslim community, the opposition has smelled a conspiracy behind the move. AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that it shows that the Modi government wants to snatch away the autonomy of the board and intends to interfere in its functioning. “I can say that whatever has been written in the media about this proposed amendment shows that the Modi government wants to take away the autonomy of the Waqf Board and it wants to interfere. This itself is against the freedom of religion.”

    The Hyderabad MP also alleged that the BJP has been against these boards and Waqf properties from the very beginning and they have been working on a ‘Hindutva agenda’. “Now if you make amendments to the establishment and composition of the Waqf board, then there will be administrative chaos, loss of autonomy of the Waqf board and if the control of the government increases over the Waqf Board, then the independence of Waqf will be affected. In the media report, it is written that if there is any disputed property, then these people will say that the property is disputed, and we will get it surveyed. The survey will be conducted by the BJP, CMs and you know what will be its result. There are many such dargahs in our India where BJP-RSS claims that they are not dargahs and mosques, so the executive is trying to snatch the power of the judiciary,” he added.

    Congress leader Naseem Khan also reacted sharply to the development saying the move won’t be tolerated. “The rules of the Waqf Board are very clear. Once a Waqf, always Waqf. The current Waqf Act protects the properties of the Waqf. The Waqf properties can be used for the welfare of the Muslim community. If the central government is planning on intervening in the Waqf board by bringing amendments to the Waqf Act to exercise their right to Waqf properties, it will not be tolerated,” Naseem Khan said.

    The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) also urged allies of the NDA and opposition parties to “completely reject any such move” and not allow such amendments to be passed in Parliament.

    What Is The New Waqf Act Bill?

    The Bill to amend the Wakf Act, 1995, will mandate that Waqf boards register their properties with district collectors to ensure accurate valuation. India has 30 Waqf boards, and reports estimate that the annual revenue from all Waqf properties is around Rs 200 crore, which seems disproportionate to the number of properties they hold.

    Initially, Waqf boards managed about 52,000 properties across India. By 2009, this number had grown to 300,000 registered properties covering four lakh acres. Currently, there are 872,292 Waqf properties spanning over eight lakh acres. Sources emphasize that revenue generated from these properties can only be used for the welfare of the Muslim community.

    The amendment Bill, featuring 40 changes to the current law, might be introduced in the ongoing Parliament session. The government intends to pass the Bill promptly. Key changes include verifying land before it is designated as Waqf property. Fresh verification of disputed lands claimed by various state boards will also be sought, according to the proposed bill. The changes with regard to the composition of the Waqf boards will ensure the inclusion of women in these bodies.

    BJP, Government’s Defence

    As per reports, the recommendations of the Justice Sachar Commission and the joint committee of Parliament headed by K Rahman Khan had suggested a few of the reasons for amending the law. In the past, some Muslim high court judges had flagged that the decision taken by Waqf boards cannot be challenged in court. Now, the amendment bill seeks to set that right.

    Senior BJP leader Dinesh Sharma said Bohra and other members of the Muslim community have raised the issue of anomalies by Waqf boards. The main reason behind this is that there have been complaints against Waqf boards, made for benefitting the minorities, being involved in other works, he claimed.

    “Demand for improvement in Waqf board is not new, it has been going on for the past 30-40 years. Those who are raising this demand and affected by it are Muslims themselves. There is a need for betterment in the Waqf board and I hope Samajwadi Party, Congress and TMC will support it (the Bill), whenever it is introduced,” said BJP leader Ajay Alok. (With agency inputs)

  • Hyderabad Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP’s Madhavi Latha Faces Stiff Competition From Asaduddin Owaisi |

    New Delhi: Asaduddin Owaisi is all set to contest elections for the fifth term. However, the leader of AIMIM is confronted with a strong contender from the BJP – Madhavi Latha. On Friday, Asaduddin Owaisi submitted his nomination for the prestigious Hyderabad constituency. The constituency is long held as a stronghold by the Owaisi family.
    Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) 

    Owaisi has represented Hyderabad in the Lok Sabha since 2004 for four consecutive terms. Owaisi has previously served twice as an MLA in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh. 

    Owaisi’s Dominance Over Hyderabad

    Since 1984, the candidates associated to the Owaisi family have consistently emerged victorious in Hyderabad, with Asaduddin Owaisi currently occupying the seat. AIMIM has maintained a strong grip on the city with its vote share steadily rising. The vote share has reached 59% in the 2019 general elections. 

    The Owaisi family’s dominance in the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency spans over four decades. Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, Asaduddin’s father, has been elected MP from this seat six times between 1984 and 1999.

    Following his father’s retirement from active politics in 2004 due to health reasons, Asaduddin Owaisi carried forward the family legacy. Owaisi secured convincing victories in the 2004, 2009, and 2014 general elections. However, the upcoming Lok Sabha battle poses a promising challenge from the spirited BJP candidate Madhavi Latha.

    Madhavi Latha (BJP) 

    Madhavi Latha holds degrees in Public Administration and Political Science. She gained prominence for her contribution in the campaign against instant triple talaq, a stance contrasting with Owaisi’s opposition to the law. On the other hand, Owaisi viewed triple talaq as an encroachment on Muslim rights.

    Beyond her activism, Latha is an entrepreneur and a Bharatanatyam dancer. She is the chairperson of Virinchi Hospitals in Hyderabad. 

    Lok Sabha Elections 2024

    The electoral contest for the two Lok Sabha seats in the old city, Hyderabad and Secunderabad, is slated for May 13, with vote counting scheduled for May 4.

     

  • After Owaisi, Akhilesh Yadav To Visit Mukhtar Ansari’s Family; Know Arithmetic Behind Power-Tussle |

    Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will be visiting the family of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari today. Ansari was cremated last month in his hometown Ghazipur. Since then, there has been political bickering over his death with the opposition parties demanding a probe and the government ordering it.  While AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi visited him this week, Akhilesh Yadav’s visit holds a significant space in the state’s political dynamics. Ansari’s brother Afzal Ansari is contesting the Lok Sabha polls on the Samajwadi Party ticket from Ghazipur. He is the sitting MP from the seat. However, Mukhtar Ansari’s influence is not limited to just one seat. 

    आज मुख्तार अंसारी के घर जाएंगे अखिलेश यादव#AkhileshYadav #SamajwadiParty #muktaransari #LokSabhaElections2024 | @priyasi90 @mayurshukla29 pic.twitter.com/jflGBosMba
    — Zee News (@ZeeNews) April 7, 2024

    Mukhtar Ansari And UP Politics

    According to reports, the political parties are trying to cash in on the resentment among Muslims after the death of Ansari. There are 28 districts in Purvanchal. It has a population of 83% Hindus and 17% Muslims. Of these, five districts have a greater Muslim population. These districts are- Balrampur with 37% Muslim Population, Bahraich 34%, Shrawasti 31%, Siddharthnagar 29% and 23%. Mukhtar Ansari’s popularity and fear were such in Purvanchal that he won elections from prison. Mukhtar Ansari has been a key factor in eight Lok Sabha seats in six districts. These are – two seats each in Ghazipur and Jaunpur, Mau, Azamgarh, Varanasi, and Mirzapur. 

    Samajwadi Party’s Purvanchal Bid

    By visiting Ansari, Akhilesh is looking to win over Muslim votes in an attempt to bag these seats. The BJP is looking to clean sweep Uttar Pradesh but the SP in alliance with Congress is not looking to sit back and just watch the game. It has planned to once again tap the M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) combination to defeat the BJP. 

    Vote Equation In Uttar Pradesh

    On these crucial seats, the M-Y combination has often emerged as a winning combination. On the eight seats of Purvanchal, there are 17% Muslims, and 13-14% Yadav and together they form around 31% of the votes. The BJP claims to have the support of 9-10% Brahmins, 6-7% Rajputs, 3-4% Rajbhars, 5-6% Kurmis and 4% Mauryas and these account for around 29-30% of voters. Then there are 20-21% SC voters. The swing in SC votes thus becomes crucial for winning.

  • Women Reservation Bill: Know which two MPs in Lok Sabha voted against the Women Reservation Bill

    ‘Narishakti Vandan Bill’ (Women Reservation Bill) was approved by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, which includes the provision of 33 percent reservation for women in the lower house of Parliament and state assemblies. After about eight hours of discussion on the related ‘Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023’, the Lok Sabha gave its approval by 454 votes against 2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House when the bill was passed.

    These two MPs opposed the women’s reservation bill

    According to reports, Asaduddin Owaisi and Imtiaz Jaleel have voted against the Women’s Reservation Bill. Because All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) led by Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the bill. However, all the opposition parties in the House including Congress, SP, DMK, Trinamool Congress supported the bill.

    Why is Owaisi opposing the women’s reservation bill?

    Leader of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Asaduddin Owaisi On Wednesday, she opposed the bill related to women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and alleged that the government only wants to increase the representation of ‘upper caste women’ in Parliament and is not concerned about women from Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Muslim community.

    60 members participated in the discussion on Women’s Reservation Bill

    Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi initiated the discussion on the bill. A total of 60 members including Rahul Gandhi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani participated in the discussion on this bill. These include 27 women members.

    Arjunram Meghwal said, this time the bill will not be allowed to get stuck

    Union Law Minister Arjunram Meghwal, while replying to the discussion, said that this time the government has made such arrangements that women will not have to wait this time. On technical issues, he said, you (opposition) want this bill to get stuck due to technical reasons, but we will not let it get stuck this time. On the question of a member on giving reservation without delimitation, Meghwal said that if the government gives reservation now, then the opposition will try to trap it by filing a PIL in the Supreme Court through some organization, but this time the government will not let the bill get stuck.

    Meghwal targeted Rahul Gandhi

    Taking aim at Rahul Gandhi, Meghwal said that his party could not bring the bill while in power because it had neither policy, nor intentions nor leadership. He said, we have policy, intentions and also leadership like Modi ji. Regarding Rahul Gandhi’s claim that three out of 90 secretaries of the government belong to the OBC community, Meghwal said that the Congress leader has criticized his own government by saying this, because the officer who would have become a secretary today would have been an Indian in the 1990s. Must have joined Administrative Services (IAS).

    Amit Shah said- Women’s Reservation Bill is not a political issue

    Intervening in the discussion on the bill, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the census and delimitation work will be completed immediately after the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and the law related to one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies will take shape very soon. Shah also indirectly targeted the main opposition party Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi and said, for some parties, women empowerment can be a political agenda, a political issue, a weapon to win elections, but my party and my For leader Narendra Modi, women empowerment is not a political issue, it is a question of recognition, a question of work culture. On the apprehensions of the opposition members that if the law related to women’s reservation is implemented after the census and delimitation in the country, it will take several years to materialize, the Home Minister said that the Delimitation Commission is a part of the quasi-judicial process headed by the Supreme Court. It consists of retired judges and includes representatives of the Election Commission and one member each from all parties.

    Sonia Gandhi supported ‘Narishakti Vandan Bill’

    Initiating the discussion this morning, Sonia Gandhi supported the ‘Narishakti Vandan Bill’ and urged the government to include women from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as well as Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the Bill by conducting a caste-based census. Reservation should be arranged. She also said that once the law is made, it should be implemented as soon as possible because delay in implementing it would be a grave injustice to the women of India. The former Congress President recalled the contribution of her husband and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in ensuring reservation for women in local bodies and said that the passing of this Women’s Reservation Bill will fulfill the unfulfilled dream of her late husband.

    Rahul Gandhi played OBC card

    Rahul Gandhi claimed that there are 90 secretaries in the Government of India out of which only three come from the OBC community and they control only five percent of the budget, which is an insult to the OBC community.

    Smriti Irani targeted Sonia Gandhi

    Union Minister Smriti Irani, while indirectly targeting Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi, said that some people are trying to take credit by claiming this bill as ‘theirs’. Without naming the former Congress president, he said that it was said in the House that the United Progressive Alliance government had introduced the bill in 2010. He sarcastically said, there are many leaders of success, but there is no one to take the name of failure. Therefore, when the bill was brought, some people called it ‘their bill’.

    What is Nari Shakti Vandan Bill?

    It is noteworthy that after ‘Narishakti Vandan Bill’ becomes law, the number of women members in the 543-member Lok Sabha will increase from the current 82 to 181. 33 percent seats will be reserved for women in state assemblies also. Currently, the provision of reservation has been made in the bill for 15 years and the Parliament will have the right to extend it. There will be reservation for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe in the reserved seats for women also.