Protests broke out in various parts of the country on Friday after the Waqf Amendment Bill was passed in the Parliament. Thousands gathered on the streets in Kolkata, Chennai and Ahmedabad after Friday prayers — waving Indian flags and carrying posters as they marked their dissent. Visuals shared online also showed the protesters tussling with the police in some areas. The developments came even as Opposition leaders moved the Supreme Court challenging the Bill.
Thousands of people from the Muslim community were spotted gathering on the streets of Kolkata on Friday afternoon to demand immediate withdrawal of the Bill. Several minority organisations reportedly joined the protests as the demonstrations caused traffic disruption in the Park Circus area.
Agitations in the western city of Ahmedabad were somewhat more charged with visuals showing the police trying to forcibly remove elderly demonstrators as they squatted on the road. Similar scenes were also witnessed in parts of Tamil Nadu as the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam led state-wide protests. Workers from the group helmed by actor Vijay were seen gathering in several major cities — including Chennai, Coimbatore and Tiruchirappalli — and shouting slogans.
Opposition moves Supreme Court
Congress MP Mohammed Jawed and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi separately moved the Supreme Court on Friday afternoon challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The plea filed by the Congress leader alleged that the bill imposed “arbitrary restrictions” on Waqf properties and their management, undermining the religious autonomy of the Muslim community.
“Several people in India will file this petition, several parties will do this…In the Parliament, everyone in the Opposition said that this is unconstitutional. This is a religious body – you are providing freedom to non-Muslims…How can you snatch away our right?..How can you do this violation? If you have numbers, it doesn’t mean you get passed anything you passed and do something unlawful…We have challenged this. We hope that Supreme Court will take cognisance of this and this will be repealed (Bill) at the earliest,” Jawed told ANI.
The Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha around midnight on Friday with 128 members voting in favour and 95 opposing it. It had passed through the Lok Sabha a day earlier, with 288 members supporting the legislation and 232 against it. The discussion over the bill in Parliament had witnessed staunch objections from opposition parties, which termed it “anti-Muslim” and “unconstitutional”. The BJP-led government however insists that the “historic reform” would benefit the minority community.
