Waqf Act won't be implemented if INDIA bloc wins Bihar polls: Manifesto

Patna | The INDIA bloc, which released its manifesto for the Bihar assembly elections on Tuesday, has pledged to block the implementation of the Waqf (Amendment) Act in the state and make the management of Waqf property more transparent and welfare-oriented.

The opposition bloc also promised that the management of Buddhist temples in Bodh Gaya would be handed over to members of the Buddhist community.

"The constitutional rights of all minority communities will be protected. The Waqf (amendment) Act will be halted...and Waqf property management will be made transparent, welfare-oriented, and useful," the INDIA bloc's manifesto stated.

INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav had recently said the Waqf (Amendment) Act would be "thrown into the dustbin" if the opposition alliance came to power in Bihar.

The Waqf (Amendment) Act was passed by Parliament in April. The ruling BJP-led NDA has described the legislation as a move toward transparency and empowerment for backward Muslims and women, while opposition parties have alleged it infringes upon the rights of the Muslim community.

CPI(ML)-Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya had also asserted that the implementation of the Waqf Act would be resisted in Bihar if the INDIA bloc forms the government.

Last week, RJD MLC Mohammad Qari Sohaib stirred controversy by saying that if Yadav becomes chief minister, "all bills will be torn apart, including the Waqf Act," inviting a barrage of attacks from the opposition, which questioned how a central law could be changed by the chief minister of a state.