– Shabana Javed
Kolkata: Kolkata witnessed widespread protests on Thursday, as West Bengal unit of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind led a rally from Ramlila Maidan in Maulali, expressing strong opposition to the recently passed Waqf Amendment Bill.
The JUH has announced its decision to submit a proposal to the Prime Minister, voicing strong opposition to the recently amended Waqf Act. It stated that the memorandum would include the signatures of one crore people from West Bengal as a mark of protest. Speaking at a public gathering at Kolkata’s Ramlila Maidan, the organisation’s state president and minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury criticised the amended legislation and alleged that it was part of a broader campaign by RSS and BJP to target the Muslim community.
Siddiqullah Chowdhury says they are lucky to be in Bengal. If they were in Uttar Pradesh, they would have been bulldozed by now. He says we are ready to go to jail. A full-fledged jail agitation will be launched soon. Tension recently erupted in Jangipur, Murshidabad, in protest against the amended Waqf Act. It has been alleged that the protesters burned a police vehicle. The national highway was blocked. The protesters first argued with the police when they tried to lift the blockade. The verbal battle turned into a scuffle. The situation quickly turned violent. It is alleged that the police then resorted to lathicharge to control the protest. The police fired teargas shells to disperse the protesters.
Commenting on the incident, Chowdhury expressed concern over the police response, stating, “Even during the CPM regime, police didn’t lathicharge us. I don’t know why the police had to take such steps now. I urge everyone to maintain peace and protest lawfully. This is part of the RSS agenda.”
The amended Waqf Act has sparked criticism from several quarters. Opponents argue that the amendments infringe upon community rights and lack adequate consultation. Amid rising tensions and growing concerns within minority communities, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued a strong reassurance, stating unequivocally that the amended legislation will not be implemented in the state.
West Bengal’s Minister for Municipal and Urban Development, Firhad Hakim, said, “A resolution was passed in the West Bengal Assembly, opposing the Waqf Bill and it was duly sent to the Centre. Despite that, the Bill was passed; this is unjust and unconstitutional. The Constitution clearly states that the property of minorities must remain in their hands. The BJP pushed this legislation to play their vote bank card.
