'When Intent And Content Don't Match...': RJD's Manoj Jha Attacks Govt Over Waqf Bill In Parliament

Hitting out at the government over the Waqf Amendment Bill, Manoj Jha said, "Is it a legal cover for bulldozer? That scares me as a citizen of the country."

RJD MP Manoj Jha speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the Budget session of Parliament, in New Delhi.

Source : PTI

RJD MP Manoj Jha on Thursday spoke in the Parliament on the ongoing debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill and attacked the government over the proposed legislation, saying the "content and the intent of the bill don't match."

The debate in the Rajya Sabha comes a day after the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha early on Thursday after a marathon 12-hour debate on Wednesday.

Opposing the Waqf Bill, the MP said that the environment of the country is going through unrest because there are repeated talks of economic boycott, attempts made at digging old mosques to find temple beneath it and Places of Worship Act being challenged and added that the content and intent of this Bill needs to be questioned.

"There are calls for economic boycott. There are searches in the basement of some old mosque. There are questions raised on the Places of Worship Act. Under such circumstances, both the content and the intent of the Bill raise questions," Jha said while speaking in the debate at the Upper House. He said that the minority communities in the country are being left on the margins. 

Hitting out at the government over the Bill, the RJD MP said in Parliament, "With this bill, is it a legal cover for bulldozer. That scares me as a citizen of the country."

The MP said that there is a 'conspiracy tone' regarding the Muslims, where the community lives in ghettos in cities, and as outsiders in villages, while their institutions are seen as "suspects."

He also took a jibe at 'Saugat-e-Modi' kits distributed by the BJP before Eid, saying that there are no 'saugat' (presentation) and 'tohfa' (gift) in a democracy. 

"From the morning, 'saugat' and 'tohfa' were used (in the house) in lighter vein. There are no 'saugat' and 'tohfa' in a democracy. We are no in a monarchy. In a democracy, every single rupee belongs to state exchequer. Every citizen have equal rights over every rupee in a democracy," he added. 

The ruling NDA strongly defended the Bill, describing it as beneficial for minorities, while the opposition parties condemned it, calling it anti-Muslim.

After the marathon debate, the Bill was passed following a division of votes -- 288 in favour and 232 against it. All amendments proposed by Opposition members were rejected through voice votes. The Bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha earlier in the day.