Trinamool Congress to Hold Massive Rally, Table Resolution Against Controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, November 25, 2024, Kolkata/ Hooghly: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has intensified its opposition to the Centre's proposed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, deeming it an infringement on state rights and a threat to minority interests. The bill, which seeks to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to address administrative challenges in managing Waqf properties, has become a flashpoint in the ongoing winter session of Parliament.

To register its dissent, the TMC has planned a series of countermeasures, including a massive rally and the tabling of a resolution in the West Bengal Assembly.

TMC’s minority cell, led by chairman and Itahar MLA Mosharraf Hossain, will hold a rally at Rani Rashmoni Avenue in Kolkata on Saturday, November 30. The rally, ordered by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, aims to demonstrate solidarity with minority communities and denounce the proposed legislation.

Addressing reporters at the Assembly premises, Minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim confirmed the rally, stating that prominent TMC leaders, including Srirampur MP Kalyan Banerjee, the party’s Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) representative on the Waqf Bill, will speak at the event. Hakim and other senior leaders from the minority cell will also address the gathering.

Meanwhile, TMC has announced plans to table a resolution against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the state Assembly during its winter session, which began on Monday, November 25. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay confirmed the development but noted that the date for the resolution’s introduction has not yet been fixed.

The resolution will outline the state government’s objections, accusing the bill of being divisive and potentially marginalizing minority communities. “The Waqf (Amendment) Bill undermines state autonomy over Waqf matters and could lead to the marginalization of minorities,” Chattopadhyay said. He hinted that the state may also introduce its own bill to safeguard minority rights and maintain control over Waqf properties.

In the Lok Sabha, Trinamool’s chief spokesperson Kalyan Banerjee will clarify the party's stance on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. Banerjee, along with key leaders like Firhad Hakim, is expected to lead the charge against the legislation, which the NDA government has prioritized as one of the 16 bills scheduled for consideration during the winter session.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeks to improve the regulation and management of Waqf properties across India. However, TMC and other opposition parties perceive it as a move to encroach on state rights, consolidate control over minority institutions, and undermine the autonomy of local Waqf boards.

The TMC's decision to stage a public rally and oppose the bill in the Assembly underscores its commitment to protecting minority rights. Party insiders believe the rally will showcase its position as a defender of minorities against what it calls a “divisive and authoritarian” policy by the Centre.

As the political battle over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill heats up, all eyes are on November 30, when the TMC minority cell’s rally is expected to galvanize public sentiment and set the tone for the party's broader strategy against the contentious legislation.