The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill late at night after a 12-hour debate, with 288 votes in favour and 232 against. However, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi strongly opposed the bill, calling it a “brazen assault” on the Constitution. She also accused the BJP government of keeping society in a state of “permanent polarisation” through such strategies.
Why did Sonia Gandhi oppose the bill?
Speaking at a Congress Parliamentary Party meeting, Sonia Gandhi said that the bill was “bulldozed” in the Lok Sabha. She claimed that it was another attempt by the BJP government to weaken democracy.
She also mentioned the One Nation, One Election Bill, saying it was a way to undermine the Constitution. She warned that the Modi government was restricting education, civil rights, and federalism, pushing India towards a situation where the Constitution would only exist “on paper.”
“It is vital for all of us to continue to fight for what is right and just, to expose the Modi government’s failings and intention to turn India into a surveillance state,” she told Congress MPs at the meeting.
Other concerns raised by Congress
At the meeting, Sonia Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of taking credit for many projects started between 2004 and 2014 under the Congress government. She urged Congress leaders to expose these claims through public outreach activities.
She also spoke about how opposition leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, were not allowed to speak in Parliament. She accused BJP MPs of creating disturbances to stop Congress from raising important issues.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill will now be presented in the Rajya Sabha for further discussion.
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