Opposition Creates Confusion & Leaves House: Rijiju in Rajya Sabha
The drama that unfolded in the Rajya Sabha recently, during the discussion on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, was a perfect example of the chaos that can ensue when opposition members create confusion and then refuse to stay back to listen to the replies. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju was at the receiving end of this chaos, and he didn’t hesitate to express his frustration and disappointment with the behavior of senior Rajya Sabha members.
Rijiju, who was participating in the discussion on the bill, took a swipe at senior members of the opposition, including Kapil Sibal, who had raised questions and made comparisons between the properties of Waqf bodies and those of other religious bodies. The minister accused Sibal of creating confusion and not staying back to listen to the replies. This, he said, was a common trend among opposition members, who would raise issues and then leave the House without waiting for the government’s response.
“It’s a trend in this House that when we raise a point, we leave and don’t come back. We don’t want to listen to the replies. This is not a healthy tradition,” Rijiju said, according to the report by The Print.
Rijiju’s outburst was a response to Sibal’s comparison between the properties of Waqf bodies and those of other religious bodies. Sibal had claimed that Waqf bodies were not being managed properly and that their properties were being misused. Rijiju countered this claim, saying that the Waqf properties were being managed efficiently and that there was no evidence of mismanagement.
However, Sibal continued to raise questions and create confusion, which Rijiju found unacceptable. The minister accused Sibal of making baseless allegations and creating confusion among the House members. He also questioned Sibal’s intention behind raising such questions, saying that it was not to find the truth but to create a controversy.
Rijiju’s outburst was not limited to Sibal alone. He also criticized other opposition members who, he said, were creating confusion and not staying back to listen to the replies. He accused them of not being interested in finding the truth but in creating a ruckus in the House.
The minister’s comments have sparked a debate on the behavior of opposition members in the Rajya Sabha. Many have questioned the need for opposition members to create confusion and then leave the House without waiting for the government’s response. Others have defended the opposition members, saying that it is their right to raise questions and hold the government accountable.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which aims to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, has been a contentious issue in the Rajya Sabha. The opposition has been criticizing the government for not doing enough to protect the properties of Waqf bodies and for not taking steps to prevent their misuse.
The bill seeks to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to provide for the appointment of a Central Waqf Council and the establishment of a Waqf Board in each state. It also proposes to increase the number of members in the Central Waqf Council and to give more powers to the Waqf Boards.
However, the opposition has been questioning the need for the bill and has accused the government of trying to take control of the Waqf properties. They have also raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the functioning of the Waqf Boards and the need for greater accountability.
In conclusion, Rijiju’s outburst in the Rajya Sabha was a reflection of the frustration and disappointment that many members of the House feel when opposition members create confusion and then refuse to stay back to listen to the replies. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is an important issue, and it is essential that opposition members engage in constructive debates and not create confusion and controversy.
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