BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Wednesday spoke during the debate on the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day, and attacked the Congress for opposing the legislation.
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00:00India has become such a den, it is time to finish it and change it.
00:06India needs freedom from the fear of devotion.
00:11Because here, the law of devotion that was made during the time of Congress,
00:17it meant that,
00:19the one who says devotion, is the one who eats.
00:25That is, where it is said that it is the land of devotion,
00:29it has become the land of devotion.
00:33It is not their responsibility to say, to tell,
00:37that how this is their land.
00:39But the one who lost it, he wanders around,
00:42and he does not even get justice.
00:45I will tell you in detail about this.
00:47But today, once again Congress,
00:50is trying to spread delusion in the country.
00:56One more thing, they carry a red book in their hand,
00:59which is a constitution to say, but it is not a constitution.
01:03If you look at this copy of the constitution,
01:06then you will realize,
01:08that it was Baba Ambedkar's dream,
01:11that there will be only one constitution in one country.
01:13You have worked to make two constitutions in one country.
01:17You have to decide whether you want to live with the constitution,
01:20or you want to live with devotion.
01:22You have to decide whether you want to live with devotion,
01:24or you want to live with the constitution.
01:27And not only this,
01:30and I want to tell those people who were talking big here,
01:35this is India,
01:37this is Pakistan, not Taliban.
01:39Here, Baba's constitution will run,
01:42not the Kabul's constitution,
01:44not the Mughal's constitution.
01:47We will see many such examples.
01:53Mr. Speaker,
01:55today we are not only discussing the constitution,
02:00but we are also challenging an equal power,
02:05which has been in existence for decades.
02:09The Vaqf-Sanshodhan Bill 2025
02:12is not just a change in the law,
02:14but a message.
02:16The message is clear,
02:18that there will be only one law in the country,
02:20the constitution of India,
02:22and there is nothing on the constitution of India.
02:24The aim of the Vaqf vote,
02:26was to make arrangements for the welfare of the Muslim community.
02:30But the Congress and its allies,
02:33have made this land,
02:35in a transparent and irresponsible manner,
02:38providing political security,
02:40and have made it such an empire,
02:42where they have made it the ATM of their vote banks.
02:46This is what they have been doing for 70 years.
02:49In 1947, India saw a partition.
02:52That partition happened because of a family and a party.
02:56Today, in the name of land jihad,
02:59we will not let another partition happen.
03:01We will not let it happen.
03:05We want to give a clear message here,
03:08that in Modi's rule,
03:10there will be only one law,
03:12one constitution,
03:14and one India.
03:16And there is a clear message as well,
03:18that if there is one, it is safe.
03:20And not only this,
03:22what we are saying is,
03:24that we will bring transparency through this bill.
03:26If we bring transparency,
03:28then we will decide the answer as well.
03:30But these people,
03:32for whom the ATM of the vote bank is,
03:34for whom their own leaders are trapped in corruption,
03:38for whom thousands of crores of rupees have been embezzled in their state,
03:41for whom I am going to mention further,
03:43I will put light in front of you on that as well,
03:46one after the other.
03:48But the question is,
03:50this process that has been going on for 70 years,
03:52whether it is 1964 or 1969,
03:54after that, one after the other amendments came,
03:57from 1995 to 2013,
04:00they made this law such that,
04:03till it was challenged,
04:05there was no right.
04:07No audit, no inspection,
04:09just land acquisition.
04:11City to city, lane to lane,
04:13on this, in one way or another,
04:15after the seizure,
04:17another seizure was carried out.
04:19This was not disrespect to religion,
04:21this was the work of taking it to a soft division.
04:23But,
04:25we have now changed this law,
04:27so that,
04:30everyone, from poor to poor,
04:32can benefit from this.
04:34Before me, a member of a Muslim community,
04:36who comes from the Congress party,
04:38was giving his speech.
04:40I want to say to him,
04:42Ashraf, Ajwal, Ajlaf,
04:44Ashraf, Ajlaf and Arjal,
04:46is there any difference between them?
04:49And I want to ask Rahul Gandhi,
04:51and Akhilesh was sharing his knowledge a little earlier.
04:55Are there castes in the Muslim community as well?
04:58What is the difference?
05:00What is the difference?
05:02I will tell you about the red caps,
05:04when in 2017,
05:06before your government came,
05:08how many scams were there?
05:10Not one, but many.
05:12But their black deeds
05:14will end today, sir.
05:16This will be the last nail
05:18in the coffin of the
05:20corrupt politics of the Congress.
05:22I want to assure you.
05:24This will be the last nail
05:26in the coffin of
05:28Congress politics of appeasement.
05:30If you see,
05:32even before this,
05:34Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
05:36did his work
05:38in dividing the country.
05:40After that,
05:42by giving Article 375,
05:44he gave such a wound
05:46that thousands of people died.
05:48But it was Narendra Modi's government
05:50who finished Article 375
05:52forever.
05:54This was our dedication
05:56towards the sisters of the Muslim community.
05:58Narendra Modi's government
06:00did the work of
06:02liberating them from
06:04triple divorce.
06:06You had promised that
06:08the people of Pakistan,
06:10Bangladesh and Afghanistan
06:12will get justice there,
06:14but they did not get it.
06:16But if you had promised
06:18to give them citizenship
06:20in India,
06:22Narendra Modi's government
06:24did the work of making
06:26this law.
06:28I want to say one more thing.
06:30If we look at
06:32one after the other,
06:34Congress
06:36and its
06:38allies
06:40have made a deal
06:42for a constitution
06:44for the vote bank.
06:46And they have made
06:48this deal.
06:50If we look at
06:52one after the other,
06:54they have made
06:56a deal for the vote bank.
06:58But this bill
07:00is an attack on
07:02the root of injustice.
07:04And after this attack,
07:06everyone will get justice.
07:08We have said that
07:10every time a property
07:12is registered,
07:14it should have
07:16a registration number
07:18and it should be
07:20under the law.
07:22It should not be under
07:24any fear.
07:26Why are you afraid of this?
07:28If someone gets justice,
07:30after the tribunal,
07:32if someone wants to go to
07:34the Supreme Court,
07:36why do you stop them?
07:38In the country,
07:40under any law,
07:42whether it is income tax
07:44or any other law,
07:46this bill is against
07:48corruption, betrayal,
07:50and religious relations.
07:52And we will stand against it.
07:54It is clear that
07:56this is not a matter of faith.
07:58As long as
08:00Prime Minister Modi is the PM,
08:02the shops of appeasement
08:04will remain shut.
08:06This bill is not about Hindu
08:08versus Muslim. This is
08:10law versus lawlessness,
08:12constitution versus corruption,
08:14government versus internal partition.
08:16And once this partition is done,
08:18we will not let it happen
08:20again and again because of your actions.
08:22Sir, I would like to tell you
08:24about the international situation.
08:26In Turkey,
08:28after 1923,
08:30in 1924, the Ministry of Waqf
08:32was abolished
08:34and a General Directorate of Foundation
08:36was formed, which does restoration,
08:38maintenance, and utilization of
08:40Waqf properties.
08:42In Kuwait,
08:44the Ministry of Waqf
08:46and Islamic Affairs
08:48takes care of
08:50assets, mosques, schools,
08:52hospitals, and
08:54modernization
08:56and digitalization.
08:58In Lebanon,
09:00the Ministry of Endowments
09:02and Islamic Affairs
09:04takes care of management, utilization,
09:06charitable, and community work.
09:08In Syria,
09:10the Ministry of Waqf
09:12takes care of appropriate use,
09:14revenue, and charitable purposes.
09:16In Iraq,
09:18the Sunni Endowment and Shia Endowment
09:20work through a centralized framework.
09:22In Saudi Arabia,
09:24the General Authority of Waqf
09:26is an independent public body.
09:28In Singapore, the MUIS,
09:30a statutory body,
09:32is under the Ministry of Community Development.
09:34It works through the digital system
09:36of Waqf management.
09:38In Tunisia,
09:40Egypt,
09:42Russia,
09:44and France,
09:46the National Association
09:48of Waqf Board
09:50ensures good work.
09:52In Tunisia,
09:54Egypt,
09:56Russia,
09:58and France,
10:00the National Association
10:02of Waqf Board
10:04ensures good work.
10:06In Tunisia,
10:08Egypt,
10:10and France,
10:12the National Association
10:14of Waqf Board
10:16ensures good work.
10:18In Tunisia,
10:20Egypt,
10:22and France,
10:24the National Association
10:26of Waqf Board
10:28ensures good work.
10:30In Tunisia,
10:32Egypt,
10:34and France,
10:36the National Association
10:38of Waqf Board
10:40ensures good work.
11:04In Tunisia,
11:06Egypt,
11:08and France,
11:10the National Association
11:12of Waqf Board
11:14ensures good work.
11:34This is a law
11:36which is above the constitution.
11:38It is called Waqf,
11:40which was made during the Congress.
11:42It has worked to capture
11:44Gurudwaras, temples,
11:46houses, and villages.
11:48Section 40
11:50states that
11:52anyone who donates
11:54should be a Muslim.
11:56Anyone who donates
11:58should be a Muslim.
12:00This is not the case in temples.
12:02This is not the case in temples.
12:04This is not the case in temples.
12:06This is not the case in temples.
12:08This is not the case in temples.
12:10This is not the case in temples.
12:12This is not the case in temples.
12:14This is not the case in temples.
12:16This is not the case in temples.
12:18This is not the case in temples.
12:20This is not the case in temples.
12:22This is not the case in temples.
12:24This is not the case in temples.
12:26This is not the case in temples.
12:28This is not the case in temples.
12:30This is not the case in temples.
12:38This is not the case in temples.
12:40This is not the case in temples.
12:42This is not the case in temples.
12:44This is not the case in temples.
12:46This is not the case in temples.
12:48This is not the case in temples.
12:50This is not the case in temples.
12:52This is not the case in temples.
12:54This is not the case in temples.
12:56This is not the case in temples.
12:58This is not the case in temples.
13:28This is not the case in temples.
13:30This is not the case in temples.
13:32This is not the case in temples.
13:34This is not the case in temples.
13:36This is not the case in temples.
13:38This is not the case in temples.
13:40This is not the case in temples.
13:42This is not the case in temples.
13:44This is not the case in temples.
13:46This is not the case in temples.
13:48This is not the case in temples.
13:50This is not the case in temples.
13:52This is not the case in temples.
13:54This is not the case in temples.
13:56Do you want to direct?
13:58Do you want to direct?
14:00Do you want to direct?
14:02Do you want to direct?
14:04Do you want to direct?
14:06Do you want to direct?
14:08Do you want to direct?
14:10Do you want to direct?
14:12Do you want to direct?
14:14Do you want to direct?
14:16Do you want to direct?
14:18Do you want to direct?
14:20Do you want to direct?
14:22Do you want to direct?
14:24Do you want to direct?
14:56Please continue.
23:50I want to give everyone a chance to speak.
23:52Sir, in the last 30 seconds.
23:54Sir, in the last 30 seconds.
23:58Sir, you said that no one will interfere.
24:02But they have created such a landlord
24:06who has taken away not just one, but thousands of crores of wealth.
24:12Can I take the names of some of the leaders of Congress in Karnataka?
24:16Their names are in the report, sir.
24:18There is a report in the Vidhan Sabha, sir.
24:20They are sitting MPs, ex-MPs, ex-Ministers.
24:23They are the representatives of the Rajya Sabha.
24:25They are the ones who are going to take over the properties of the time.
24:29And they are going to take over a 5-star hotel.
24:34Sir, I just want to say this.
24:36This bill will bring about a big change in the lives of Muslims.
24:40Every year, they will make an effort to earn thousands of crores.
24:43A good education, good facilities, good houses, good treatment,
24:48and a good future.
24:50This is Narendra Modi's government.
24:52This amendment bill by the Vakf Board
24:54will bring about a new hope.
24:59Thank you very much.
25:01Honourable Member, Mr. Arun Bharati.
25:03Mr. Arun Bharati.
25:05Yes, sir.
25:27So, a frontal attack being launched by Anurag Thakur
25:32on the Congress Party, on the opposition.
25:35Anurag Thakur has named Congress Party's Chief Malik Arjun Kharge
25:41and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha
25:44of allegedly having a role to play in a Karnataka land grab.
25:52Anurag Thakur has accused Malik Arjun Kharge
25:55saying that he's been named.
25:57He's also said there are other Congress Party leaders
26:00who've been named in the Karnataka land grab.
26:03Of course, the Congress Party was quick to hit back,
26:07asking the chair to ensure that Malik Arjun Kharge's name is not taken.
26:15So, Anurag Thakur has accused the opposition
26:20of usurping land in the name of the Vakf Board.
26:26He said the Narendra Modi government wants to bring in reforms
26:30but the Congress and the opposition are against reforms
26:34because a select few in the name of Vakf Board have usurped land
26:40and he's listed out certain names, certain states,
26:44certain alleged corruption cases
26:47and this has led to a frontal war, virtual frontal war
26:52between the Congress and the BJP on the Vakf Amendment Bill.
26:58But this is a direct attack on the Congress Party.
27:02According to Anurag Thakur of the Bharatiya Janata Party,
27:05the Vakf Amendment Bill is the last nail in the coffin of appeasement politics.
27:11Tushthi Karan ki Rajneeti ka Antim Sanskar or words to that effect
27:16is what Anurag Thakur said in Lok Sabha just moments ago.
27:20But since 12 o'clock this afternoon, it's been over 5 hours now,
27:24close to 5 and a half hours, there's been one heated debate after the other
27:28on the contentious Vakf Amendment Bill.
27:32The ruling BJP insisting, BJP and allies,
27:36you also heard Lalan Singh of the JDU,
27:39very very clearly they're saying that this is for the betterment of Muslims.
27:45It's for the betterment of women, of children and of the community.
27:50They're quoting the Sachar Committee where 12,000 crore rupees
27:54should have been generated from this kind of property that the Vakf has.
27:58It's only generated between 163 to 167 crore rupees.
28:03Where is the rest of the money?
28:06Who is pocketing that money?
28:09That's the question that the ruling party is raising in Lok Sabha
28:15as it seeks Vakf reforms.
28:18The opposition has hit right back.
28:20One, Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha,
28:23he led the counter attack.
28:25He accused Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Minister Kiran Rajjiju
28:30who tabled the Vakf Amendment Bill of trying to mislead the house.
28:34Asked him to authenticate facts or authenticate points that he had raised in the house.
28:40This is how the debate started at 12 this afternoon
28:43and sparks flew in Lok Sabha right from 12 this afternoon.
28:47Neither the government nor the opposition spared anything.
28:51They were unsparing in their sharp attacks and sharp responses.
28:55The treasury benches accused the opposition of Muslim appeasement politics,
28:59protecting just a corrupt few and not bothering about the welfare of Muslims at large.
29:05Especially those who should have truly benefited from the Vakf.
29:09So from Kiran Rajjiju to Lallan Singh to Ravi Shankar Prasad,
29:13now to Anurag Thakur.
29:16So the BJP's attacks have been swift.
29:18The opposition has also hit right back and we'll get you all those voices.
29:22We'll get you what Imran Masood said, what Gaurav Gogoi said,
29:26what opposition leaders including Arvind Sawant of the Shiv Sena UBT,
29:30what they said but first listen in to Kiran Rajjiju.
29:56Kiran Rajjiju accused the opposition of Muslim appeasement politics.
29:59He misled the house.
30:01What he said in the UPA government in 2013,
30:06is complete misleading. It's a lie.
30:09And we demand that he be authenticated.
30:12We demand that he be authenticated.
30:15That's why he has accused us again and again.
30:19He has spread delusions again and again.
30:21The provision of a work board, a mosque, a temple,
30:26a religious institution has nothing to do with it.
30:31It's simply a matter of property management.
30:36A Muslim gives his zakat, his fitra.
30:40Who are we to ask him?
30:43It's a matter of religious sentiment.
30:46It has nothing to do with the government.
30:48Even in today's constitution,
30:51I have only one guide,
30:53that is the constitution of India.
30:56There should always be a litigation going on between us.
31:00The problem should increase.
31:02This is their aim.
31:04And the fourth aim is
31:07dilute, defame, divide.
31:10And the fourth aim is
31:12to disenfranchise the minority communities.
31:16If you oppose this bill, why do you do it?
31:20You're not answering this.
31:22And I would like everyone to answer my question
31:25as to what problems you have with this bill.
31:27Number two, do you want
31:30the property of the Waqf
31:32to be in the hands of the corrupt,
31:34looting, fraudulent beggars
31:37or for the poor?
31:39For the backward Muslims?
31:41For the daughters?
31:43This opens the way for them.
31:45This Waqf bill
31:47has no hope.
31:50It's a part of their strategy.
31:54Because their board has been shattered.
31:57They want to divide even among Muslims.
32:00There is no division in the Muslim religion.
32:04But they are trying
32:07to divide the Muslim brotherhood
32:09through this bill.
32:12They say that
32:14in our country, the land bank
32:18is the third largest
32:20with the Waqf Board.
32:22First the Indian Railway,
32:24then the Indian Army,
32:26that is, the Indian Defence,
32:28and then they say that the Waqf Board
32:30has land.
32:31I want to change that.
32:33Sir, you travel by train,
32:35we also travel by train.
32:37There are thousands of kilometres
32:39of railway tracks and stations.
32:41Those railway tracks
32:43are not the property of the country,
32:45they are the property of the country.
32:47The property of the country
32:49is the private property.
32:51That is why,
32:53in the world,
32:55India has the largest
32:57Waqf property.
32:59Not just in our country,
33:01India has the largest
33:03and the largest
33:05Waqf property in the world.
33:07So why is this?
33:09Till date, you have been in the government.
33:11Why are Muslims so poor in our country?
33:13When the largest
33:15Waqf property in the world
33:17is in our country,
33:19then for the education of our poor Muslims,
33:21for medical treatment,
33:23for skilling,
33:25for income generation,
33:27why has it not worked so far?
33:29If the largest Waqf property
33:31in the world is in India,
33:33then from that property,
33:35for the upliftment of the poor,
33:37if this government
33:39is working for the poor Muslims
33:41under the leadership of Narendra Modi,
33:43then why should there be a problem?
33:47We have not become MP
33:49according to any religion or caste.
33:51We have become MP
33:53as citizens.
33:55So if my constituency says
33:57that I cannot come here,
33:59our religion and your religion are different,
34:01then how can that be?
34:03As an MP, I have authority, I can go.
34:05Similarly, you have trust.
34:07The trust is run by the
34:09Charity Commissioner.
34:11So how can the trust say that
34:13the Charity Commissioner should be of my caste?
34:15The Charity Commissioner is there
34:17to take care of the governance.
34:19He runs the trust.
34:21Similarly, how can you say
34:23that to see my Waqf property,
34:25I cannot be a non-Muslim in the Waqf Board?
34:27How can you say this?
34:29Think about this logic a little deeply.
34:31Because it has been said again and again.
34:33I will not take names.
34:35Some of our people will speak later.
34:37Why are non-Muslims coming
34:39in the affairs of Muslims?
34:41This has nothing to do with religious
34:43arrangements. I am saying this again and again.
34:45Therefore, this is a property.
34:47It is a Waqf property.
34:49Please understand this.
34:51Tilkayat Sri Govind Lalji Maharaj
34:53v. State of Rajasthan.
34:55What did the Supreme Court
34:57say in this?
34:59Right to manage
35:01the properties of the temple
35:03Right to manage
35:05the properties of the temple
35:07Right to manage the properties
35:09of the temple is purely
35:11a secular matter and cannot
35:13be regarded as a religious practice.
35:15Properties of the temple.
35:17Not the temple, but the property of the temple.
35:19In the same way,
35:21you say again and again
35:23that how are non-Muslims
35:25coming in the affairs of Muslims?
35:27This logic does not make sense.
35:29Stop saying this from today.
35:31Stop saying this from today.
35:33The provision of the Waqf Board
35:35has nothing to do with
35:37a mosque, a temple,
35:39a religious facility.
35:41It has nothing to do with
35:43a mosque, a temple,
35:45a religious facility.
35:47It is simply a matter of
35:49property management.
35:51Who are we to ask
35:53who are we to ask
35:55who are we to ask
35:57have got nothing to do with anything?
35:59have got nothing to do with anything?
36:01This is a matter of temple property
36:03and there is a limit to
36:05the management of this thing.
36:07Because of doing this,
36:09you do not understand
36:11even the basic knowledge of it.
36:13You do not understand
36:15even the basic knowledge of it.
36:17If you want to understand,
36:19I do not have any solution for this.
36:21So the BJP is constantly trying to send
36:23across the message that this is not
36:25a religious issue. It's a Vakf property management issue. If according to the Sachar committee
36:32way back in 2006, Vakf property should have generated 12,000 crore rupees and they've
36:38generated only about 163 to 167 crore a year. Where is the rest of the money going? So when
36:45that attack starts at this level and then Anurag Thakur escalates it to a level accusing
36:52political leaders of land grab in the name of Vakf properties, this clearly is an all
36:58out war. Now in Lok Sabha, as he tabled the Vakf amendment bill, Kiran Rijiju also said
37:06thankfully according to him, the Narendra Modi government came in 2014, otherwise Vakf
37:13or their management would have even claimed the parliament building where the debate is
37:17on was Vakf property. The Congress hit right back because when the BJP said that Congress
37:23had denotified a number of properties in the national capital just before elections and
37:28this had been done according to the minority affairs minister and the parliamentary affairs
37:32minister with an ulterior motive, Congress MP and deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav
37:38Gogoi hit back accusing the government of using the Vakf amendment act as a tool according
37:43to him to dilute the constitution, defame the minority communities, especially Muslims,
37:49divide the society and disenfranchise Muslims.
38:14The Vakf amendment bill has been in force since the day Islam came into our country.
38:22There are many places where there are no papers, but there is a judgment. The judgment is on
38:30their side and today we have repeatedly said that the limitation act should be increased
38:37because it is a practical problem. But today they don't want it. Why? Because they want
38:43cases to be filed here and there in different parts of the country. So they want to break
38:50the atmosphere of brotherhood here. This is their political objective.
38:56Read clause 26, section 52A. Section 52, clause 26.
39:06What is written in clause 26? In section 52A of the principle act, in subsection 1,
39:18for the words rigorous imprisonment, the words imprisonment shall be substituted.
39:24They are diluting it.
39:26They are diluting it, sir. The parent act said that there should be rigorous imprisonment.
39:30And if you are saying again and again that this is happening, this is happening,
39:36then why are you weakening the clause? It's just a delusion, sir. Their objective is somewhere else.
39:44Sir, I would also like to give a tip that today they have their eyes on a special society's land,
39:53tomorrow they will have their eyes on the land of other ethnic groups in the society.
39:57So there are many myths around the Waqf Amendment Bill. What are myths and what are facts? We'll
40:06get you both sides of the story. So there is a myth that all Waqf properties will now be taken
40:13over by the government, that Waqf will no longer be in control of their properties, that will be
40:17revoked. The fact? Legitimate Waqf properties for which there's documentation, they remain protected.
40:24The bill clarifies rules are only for better management of the Waqf properties for transparency.
40:31Then there are those properties that are misclassified as Waqf, like government properties
40:37or properties for which there are no documents, that is where a review will take place. The myth
40:43that there will be no survey of Waqf properties. The government says of course there will be a
40:48survey by the survey commissioner and a survey commissioner, there will be an officer higher
40:54than the rank of a district collector who would carry out the task. Non-Muslims will become
41:00majority in Waqf board is another canard that is being spread. The government, the law, the
41:07Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiran Raju has clarified that the bill
41:13clearly states at least two members to be non-Muslim. Majority members will be from the
41:19Muslim community, of course there will be women, there will be Pasmandas, there'll be Shias,
41:24there'll be Bohras, there'll be Agha Khanis and not just Sunni Muslims. There's another myth that
41:31personal land can also be acquired under this new Waqf Amendment Act and the, or the bill,
41:39the government has clarified the bill applies only to properties that are declared Waqf properties,
41:45it does not impact personal property of any individual that hasn't already been donated
41:52to or as Waqf properties. Another myth that the bill will be used to take over Waqf properties
41:59by the government and the government's saying no, there will be no seizure of legitimate Waqf
42:05properties. It's only where the status is not clear and multiple such instances are being
42:12listed out in Parliament. For example, one instance that's been laid out is a temple which
42:17is over 1500 years old being declared on Waqf property. Is that even feasible? Is that even
42:23possible? Then the myth that status of the historic Waqf sites will also be impacted.
42:30The government's also clarified no interference with religious or historic character of declared
42:37Waqf properties. That's one aspect that is systematically being raised and the government
42:43has tried to clarify all of these aspects, not just to opposition but also to their allies and
42:49NDA allies, whether it's the JDU, the TDP or the Shiv Sena, they've come out wholeheartedly
42:55supporting the Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament and emphatically put out facts in public domain
43:03accusing the opposition of trying to use Muslims as a vote bank and not doing anything to benefit
43:10them like this bill according to them attempts to do. Listen.
45:03I quickly want to cut across to Parliament and bring in India today's Piyush Mishra joining
45:17us live. He's been tracking every twist and turn of this debate in Parliament. Piyush,
45:23Anurag Thakur has said the cat among pigeons. This is a direct frontal attack not just on
45:30Congress party in general but on the party president and leader in Rajya Sabha connecting
45:36it to Waqf. How's the Congress reacting to this direct attack? Well, absolutely,
45:44Gaurav, Anurag Thakur raised this matter at the time itself. We saw KC Venugopal and other
45:50leaders of the Congress party, you know, they objected to this. They also said that you're
45:54talking about a leader who is in Rajya Sabha. They also said that you are, you know, talking
46:00baseless. But Anurag Thakur led the entire charge. He has said that, you know, there is corruption
46:07which the Congress party has done. He has also said that the Congress party did not do anything
46:11as far as the corruption in the Waqf board is concerned. So multiple attacks have been leveled
46:17by BJP. There are senior leaders of BJP including Nishant Dubey, Anurag Thakur, who all are,
46:23you know, trading their charges against the previous governments of the Congress party,
46:29where they promoted corruption in the Waqf board. But at the same time, the BJP is saying that,
46:35you know, it is bringing a bill which is going to benefit the common Muslims. It is also going
46:41to bring transparency in Waqf board. The members will also be, female members will also be there
46:49in the board. The board will also have members from Shia, Sunni, Agha Khan, and there are
46:54multiple sects in Muslim community from where the members will be part of. So the government and the
47:00BJP leaders are clarifying that this bill is going to give a lot of benefits to the poor Muslim.
47:05On the other side, we are also seeing now the likes of Imran Masood from the Congress party,
47:11Mohiuddin Nadeem, who just spoke a couple of minutes back from Samadhi Party, they all are
47:16saying that the government is trying to attack on the basic ethos of Muslim culture. They are
47:24trying to take over the land of all the people who have their personal lands. It's an attack on
47:31Waqf. They are also saying that the places of worship, all these things will be used up by the
47:39government. The government, you know, is trying to bring this because they want to...
47:43Beyond the rhetoric and pioush, is there any response on the aspects, on the specific
47:51allegations being leveled by the BJP, especially on aspects like money? If with all this land,
48:00the Waqf, according to such a committee, was to generate 12,000 crore rupees for benefiting
48:06Muslims, why is it generating only between 163 to 167 crore? If more money is being generated,
48:14where is that money going? Where is accountability? Any response on the
48:19specifics from the opposition? Well, that's not happening. We are
48:23already seeing that the opposition MPs are only making charges, but the report of such a committee
48:30is being quoted by various speakers from the government side, from the BJP side,
48:35from the Indian side also, where they are talking about how such a committee report indicated in
48:402006 that a large number of property generated only revenue of around 2 crore. But, you know,
48:48it was estimated that it could have generated revenue of more than 12,000 crore, given the
48:54market price. These lands have not been used for the benefits of Muslims. That's what the BJP
49:02speakers are talking about. But the opposition is claiming that it's an attack on the Waqf,
49:08that the government is trying to take over the land of Muslims. They are not responding to the
49:14big allegation which is also being leveled by the BJP. We'll have to wait and watch how the debate
49:19goes. Absolutely. And how numbers stack up. And stay with me on that aspect,
49:23because end of the day, the numbers game are extremely critical. And let's run you
49:29through some of these numbers. In the 543 member Lok Sabha, the ruling government alliance, the NDA
49:37alliance is at 293. The opposition India bloc is at 238. Others are 11, vacant is 1. For the
49:47Waqf Amendment Bill, you just require a simple majority, which at this point is 271. The
49:53government with 293 is extremely comfortable with numbers in Lok Sabha. The government intends to
50:01then table this in Rajya Sabha in the next 24 hours is what we are being told. And the government
50:07is equally comfortable there. Rajya Sabha with 245 members in the House of Elders. The NDA
50:13government has NDA and its supporters are at 125. The opposition bloc is at 88. Others are 23,
50:22vacant is 9. Again, for simple majority, 118 is required. So with 125, the government's extremely
50:30comfortable. But the government is not just looking at 125 or 271 in Lok Sabha. It's also
50:37looking at others to play a role and then get this passed with significantly higher numbers,
50:45because that, according to the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiran Rijiju, sends out a very
50:51clear message to the country. After an eight hour long debate, perhaps it will be even longer. And
50:58that's another aspect that was raised that depending on the sense of the house, this debate
51:03could even go on longer. Samajwadi Party Chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh
51:09Yadav claimed that the Waqf Amendment Bill would actually hurt India's secular image in the world,
51:16and that it was being brought as part of Bharatiya Janata Party's divisive agenda. Listen.
52:03And
52:27expressing grave concerns over the Waqf Amendment Bill, former Chief Minister of the erstwhile
52:33state of Jammu and Kashmir and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti insisted that Muslims in India
52:40are increasingly facing persecution and encroachment even on their graveyards.
52:44She emphasized that the Hindu majority in this country should actually take a stand
52:49against what she perceives is injustice, and that they should not regret it later,
52:55like Muslims regretted the way Hindus were shunted out of Jammu and Kashmir.
53:26Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has slammed the Narendra Modi government
53:55at the centre over the Waqf Amendment Bill. Mamata Banerjee has said that BJP only has
54:02an aim to divide the country. Mamata Banerjee has called the BJP Bharatiya Jumla Party.
54:09Mamata Banerjee said BJP believes in a policy of divide and rule. She said on the Waqf Bill,
54:15and I quote, our MPs are fighting for Waqf today. The Jumla Party is only one point program
54:24to divide the country. They believe in divide and rule policy, something that we don't. We
54:30follow the constitution. We should all first respect the constitution before doing anything
54:35else. Always remember, dhormo jar jar, utsav saubar. I listen to servants of Shri Krishna
54:43and read Swami Vivekananda. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar,
54:49Abul Kalam Azad, and Ram Krishna Paramhans. Listen in to Mamata Banerjee. I'll get you more
54:55on that story. I will request my parliament members also, they are fighting for Waqf today
55:06because the Jumla Party is only one point program to divide the country and they believe
55:14in divide and rule policy. We follow the constitution. Always remember, dhormo jar jar, utsav saubar.
55:45I listen to servants of Shri Krishna and read Swami Vivekananda. I listen to Paramahamsa
55:49Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, Abul Kalam Azad, and Ram Krishna.
56:15So the opposition is accusing the BJP of divide and rule. BJP is accusing opposition parties
56:21of Muslim appeasement politics.