The Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdur Rahim Rather on Thursday criticized the passing of Waqf Amendment Bill, saying that it violates the constitutional right to freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution of India.
The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill well past midnight on Wednesday after marathon debate. The Bill was passed by a division of votes, with 288 in favor and 232 against
“I think that as far as this Bill is concerned, it violates the Article 25 of the Constitution of India which guarantees the right to freedom of religion to people in the country…It is not a good thing to interfere in someone's personal laws,” Rather told reporters today.
All the major Kashmir based political parties had voiced strong opposition to the Bill, terming it as an "attack on Muslim rights" and an attempt to erode the autonomy of the Waqf Boards.