New Delhi: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, strongly opposed the Waqf Bill during the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting in the Lok Sabha on February 4.

Owaisi warned the Modi government against tabling the bill in its current form, saying that it will lead to “social instability in the country.” The AIMIM chief emphasised that the Muslim community has rejected the bill in its present form as it violates Articles 25, 26 and 14 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantee rights to religious equality and freedom.

“I am cautioning and warning this government – if you bring and make a Waqf law in the present form, which will be a violation of Articles 25, 26 and 14, it will lead to social instability in this country. It has been rejected by the entire Muslim community. No Waqf property will be left, nothing will be left,” Owaisi said during his address in the Lok Sabha.

“As a proud Indian Muslim, I will not lose an inch of my Masjid…I will not lose an inch of my Dargah. I will not allow that. We will no more come and give a diplomatic talk over here. This is the House where I have to stand and speak honestly, that my community – we are proud Indians. It is my property, not given by anyone. You cannot snatch it away from me. Waqf is a form of worship for me,” he added.

Asserting that the bill will hinder the nation’s progress, Owaisi further said, “You want to make India ‘Viksit Bharat’, we want ‘Viksit Bharat’. You want to take this country back to the ’80s and early ’90s, it will be your responsibility.”

What Does Waqf Mean In Islamic Law?

Waqf in Islamic law refers to property dedicated to religious or charitable purposes, such as funding mosques or supporting the needy. Once designated as waqf, the property cannot be sold, inherited, or transferred, with its income supporting the intended causes.

A key issue in the new Bill is the proposal to allow non-Muslims to serve on important waqf bodies like the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards. This departs from the 1995 Act, which restricted these roles to Muslims, and also includes provisions for women and non-Muslim members.

Opposition MPs Protest Against The Waqf (Amendment) Bill

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 8 2024. The bill was referred for consultation to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee, chaired by BJP leader Jagdambika Pal. So far, 572 amendments have been proposed to the draft bill by the committee.

On February 3, opposition MPs Kalyan Banerjee (Lok Sabha) and Md. Nadimul Haque (Rajya Sabha) strongly opposed the removal of key portions from their dissent notes submitted to the JCP on the bill.

In their letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the MPs accused that their objections were deleted without any prior notice or explanation.

“To our dismay and utter surprise, we found that the following objectives and dissent notes have been deleted by the Chairman without informing us and without our consent,” an excerpt from the letter dated February 3, 2025, read.

Fatehpur (Uttar Pradesh): Two Indian railway officials sustained minor injuries after a goods train collided with another stationary goods train near Pambhipur in Fatehpur district in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday morning, leading to the derailment of the guard coach and the engine.

The accident disrupted train movement on the upline. Rescue and restoration operations are currently underway to clear the affected section and resume normal traffic, officials said.

Statement Of Subhash Dubey, A Doctor At The Community Health Centre

Subhash Dubey, a doctor at the Community Health Centre (CSC), said, “Two injured were brought in. They came to our CSC around 7 am and they did not have many injuries, so we did first aid.”

The injured have been identified as Anuj Raj (28) and Shiv Shankar Yadav (35). Both received first aid and were later discharged.

Railway authorities are assessing the damage and working to restore normal operations.

New Delhi, Feb 4: The Delhi Police on Tuesday registered two cases – first against Chief Minister Atishi for violation of the Model Code of Conduct and another against her supporters for obstructing government work and attacking police.

CM Atishi’s convoy of 10 vehicles carrying her 50-60 supporters reached Fateh Singh Marg and when police asked her to return, citing MCC enforcement, she refused to comply.

A case was booked against CM Atishi on the complaint of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

After being booked, Atishi, the AAP candidate for the Kalkaji seat, slammed the Delhi Police and ECI for “acting in a partisan manner”.

In a post on social media platform X, she alleged that her opponent Ramesh Bidhuri’s family was openly violating the MCC but no action was taken against them.

Hitting out at Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, she said: “The Election Commission is also amazing! Ramesh Bidhuri ji’s family members are openly violating the Model Code of Conduct. No action is being taken against them.

“I filed a complaint and called the police and @ECISVEEP, and they filed a case against me! Rajiv Kumar ji: How much will you ruin the electoral process,” CM Atishi’s post read.

On the other hand, the BJP candidate for the Kalkaji seat, Ramesh Bidhuri’s nephew Manish Bidhuri has been booked under the Representation of People Act.

Campaigning for the Delhi Assembly polls ended on Monday, with 699 candidates vying for 70 constituencies.

The Delhi elections are being viewed as a referendum on the ruling AAP’s governance model in the national Capital for the last ten years.

They will also decide the BJP’s future in Delhi for the next five years and also if the Congress will be able to make a comeback in the national Capital.

The 70-member Delhi Assembly will go to polls on Wednesday and the results will be declared on February 8.