– Raheem Khan
Jaipur: Congress National Secretary Shahnawaz Alam said the central government has failed to present a logical reply on the Waqf issue in the Supreme Court. Speaking during the 192nd episode of the weekly Speak Up program, he accused the government of using its majority to dominate, ignoring the Supreme Court’s stature, and planning pressure tactics for the next Chief Justice of India, RS Gavai.
Alam said the government’s claim that challenging the Waqf law violates judicial review principles is an attack on the Constitution. He explained that the Constitution gives the Supreme Court powers to review Parliament’s actions and stops the government from altering the Constitution based only on majority strength.
He warned that if this logic is accepted, the BJP could even try to remove “secular” and “socialist” from the Constitution’s Preamble. He reminded that the Supreme Court has ruled that Parliament cannot change the Preamble. Alam also mentioned that the BJP has twice moved private member bills in the Rajya Sabha to delete these words and has filed petitions in the Supreme Court for this purpose.
Alam said Justice RS Gavai, the upcoming CJI, will deal with key issues. These include the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University, Article 30 rights for minorities, the Places of Worship Act 1991, and the Uniform Civil Code. He said these matters are connected to the RSS’s divisive agenda. Alam warned that during Gavai’s tenure until November, the BJP will likely try to secure favorable decisions.
He pointed out that Justice Gavai has previously supported sub-classification within Dalit reservations, aligning with the RSS and BJP’s plan to weaken independent Dalit politics.
Alam stressed that Muslims have always supported Dalits in defending constitutional rights. He urged that if the “Manuvadi” government attacks Articles 25 and 26, which protect minority rights, Dalits must also openly support Muslims.
