Congress made Muslim women second-grade citizens during its rule: Nadda J P Nadda accused the Congress of treating Muslim women as second-grade citizens during its rule at the Centre.Speaking during the debate, Nadda said the Narendra Modi government brought Muslim women into the mainstream by banning triple talaq.”You made the Indian Muslim ladies second-grade citizens,” he said, referring to the Congress, and added, “It was only India where Muslim women were not brought into the mainstream.”He noted that while Muslim countries such as Egypt, Sudan, Bangladesh, and Syria banned triple talaq years ago, the Congress-led UPA government did nothing for Muslim women during its decade in power.”We believe in real service, not lip service. Today crores of Muslim sisters have the right to live with dignity. Who did it? Isn’t the decision a historic one? It is a historic decision and none other than Prime Minister Modi has done it,” Nadda said.Expressing support for the Bill, he stated, “I stand in support of the (Waqf) Bill as its sole purpose is to bring reforms in managing the Waqf properties,” emphasising that the amendment aims to ensure accountability.He asserted that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is in the nation’s interest and accused the opposition of trying to derail and divert the issue.Comparing the current and previous Joint Parliamentary Committees, Nadda pointed out that the Modi government formed a 31-member committee, while the UPA had only a 13-member JPC. He also highlighted that 284 stakeholders participated in the debate this time, compared to just 18 during the UPA’s tenure.”This shows that Modi is moving the country forward on the basis of democratic principles,” he said.Nadda mentioned that Muslim countries like Turkiye, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia had introduced laws to bring Waqf properties under state control for community welfare and development. He added that digitisation and geo-mapping of Waqf properties had started in some of these countries to prevent misuse.”When these countries are digitising Waqf properties and making them accountable, then what is the problem if it is being done in India?” he asked the Opposition.He emphasised that the amendment aims to ensure Waqf properties remain in the right hands and are used for the benefit of Muslims.”From 1913 to 2013, Waqf had 18 lakh hectares of land, and from 2013 to 2025, 21 lakh hectares of land were added to the Waqf properties,” Nadda said, adding that the government has no intention of taking over these properties but wants to prevent their misuse.Referring to provisions in the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2013, he pointed out how they violated constitutional principles such as equality before the law and the right to a fair trial. He argued that the current amendment corrects these issues.”The Bill transfers the power from the Waqf to a collector to ascertain whether a particular piece of land should be given to Waqf or not. The basic aim of the Bill is to bring transparency and accountability and ensure both with strict regulation,” Nadda said.He highlighted cases where government properties, including lakes and temple lands, were declared as Waqf properties under the existing law.”In 2006, there were 4.9 lakh Waqf properties, and they have increased to 8.7 lakh. However, the total income, which was Rs 163 crore in 2013, has only increased to Rs 166 crore after 2013,” Nadda said, adding that even the CAG report had raised serious concerns about the misuse of Waqf properties..
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