India News | Proposed Amendments to Wakf Act in Line with BJP's Politics of Polarisation: Tejashwi
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday alleged that the proposed amendments to the Wakf Act were in line with the BJP's politics of "polarisation" along religious lines.
Patna, Aug 5 (PTI) RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday alleged that the proposed amendments to the Wakf Act were in line with the BJP's politics of "polarisation" along religious lines.
The former Bihar deputy chief minister, who is now the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, also questioned the Centre's reluctance to place in Constitution's ninth schedule the legislations, struck down by the Patna High Court, by which quotas for deprived castes had been hiked in the state.
"The Union government seems to have no interest in working for the poor. This is a reflection on the ruling BJP at the Centre, which believes in the politics of polarisation,” Yadav told reporters.
He was responding to queries about proposed amendments to the Wakf Act, which have met with stiff opposition from parties like Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM, and drawn flak from constituents of the INDIA bloc.
"Why is the Centre not accepting our demand to put in the ninth schedule the amendments to reservation laws in Bihar. This would have helped the deprived castes to avail of 65 per cent quotas,” Yadav said.
The reservation laws were amended in November last year when the RJD was sharing power with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who returned to the BJP-led NDA a few months later.
Yadav was also asked about controversial remarks about Lord Ram by a leader of the DMK, another INDIA bloc partner that rules Tamil Nadu.
The RJD leader, who was at a temple here, where a ‘langar' (feast) had been organised for the poor by his wife Rajshri, said, “I am not aware of any such comments. I can only say one must not make remarks that could hurt religious sentiments .”
Meanwhile, the state's minority affairs minister Zama Khan, who belongs to the JD(U), came out with a guarded response on the Wakf issue.
"We would need to see the proposed amendments when these are introduced in Parliament. Only then would it be proper to react,” Khan told PTI over phone.
However, when his views were sought on speculations that the amendments proposed inclusion of women in Wakf Boards, Khan said, "That would be a welcome development".
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)