Hyderabad: Congress Saharanpur MP Imran Masood on Sunday said the Waqf Amendment Act was not confined just to Muslims but should be seen as a national issue of justice, equality and Constitutional integrity. “If the government thinks it can quietly pass this Bill and no one will speak up, it is mistaken. We will raise our voice in the streets and in Parliament,” he added.Masood was addressing a mammoth gathering of Muslims at a protest programme against Waqf Act organised by the Congress minority cell at the statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar at Tank Bund here.Faheem Qureshi, president of Telangana Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society (TMREIS), who led the rally, said, “This Act is completely one-sided. It tries to take away the autonomy of the Waqf Board and gives more powers to the government. This is against the spirit of justice and minority rights.”“We chose to protest at the Ambedkar statue because Dr B.R. Ambedkar stood for the rights and dignity of every citizen. This is a symbolic reminder of our commitment to constitutional values,” Qureshi added.Osman Al Hajiri, Karwan Congress leader, and Mohammed Sohailuddin, leader of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), spoke against the Act that came into force on April 8. The Advocates Telangana joint action committee comprising M.A. Shakeel, Mohd. Sohail Malik, Shujath Hussain and M.A. Hameed was also present. Senior Congress leaders B. Mahesh Kumar Goud and V. Hanumantha Rao besides Youth Congress and NSUI leaders took part in the protest.Earlier, thousands of Muslims took out a rally from L B Stadium. Protesters held placards reading “Withdraw Waqf Amendment Act” and “Save Waqf, Save Constitution.” While the protest remained peaceful, leaders warned of stronger, nationwide agitation if the Act was not rolled back.
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