Ajay Rai criticises Waqf Bill, accuses govt of ‘bypassing’ Opposition

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai on Thursday, 3 March, attacked the government over the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, calling it a "hurried decision" made without consulting the Opposition.

Rai accused the government of acting "arbitrarily and misleading the public".

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

"The Waqf Bill was brought in haste. The government has done whatever it wanted without listening to the Opposition. They made promises to mislead the people, but none of them have been fulfilled," he said.

Taking a dig at Union Home minister Amit Shah, Rai said, "The BJP has a majority and is doing whatever it pleases. Be it demonetisation, GST, or the Waqf Bill, the government is making decisions unilaterally, disregarding the concerns of the people."

Rai further took aim at RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's recent visit to Varanasi, questioning why he did not attend the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.

"Bhagwat speaks about Hindutva and Sanatan Dharma, yet he did not visit the Maha Kumbh, which is one of the most significant events of Sanatan Dharma. This raises serious questions on those who claim to be champions of Hindutva," he said.