BJP allies back Waqf Bill; Shah says it won't be retrospective

The Lok Sabha was on Wednesday set to pass the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill with key constituents of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre expressing support for the proposed law, but with caveats.

- Archis Mohan

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a key ally of the BJP, urged the government to show flexibility in drafting the rules to allow states to determine the composition of the Waqf boards.

One of the criticisms of the Bill, which several Opposition members flagged, is the provision to allow non-Muslims on the Waqf boards.

During the over eight-hour-long debate on the Bill, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the law will be prospective, and not retrospective, and will not snatch away anyone's property.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the Bill has been introduced to manage BJP's "diminishing" vote bank and will prove to be the "Waterloo" for the BJP. He said the Bill is being brought to divert attention from the "land capture" by China.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said the Bill is an attack on the basic structure of the Constitution with an aim to dilute its provisions, defame minorities, disenfranchise them and divide the Indian society.