No debate over Waqf Amendment Bill disappointing: Para

Jammu, Apr 9: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para Wednesday shared his disappointment that only Muslim majority region in India could not discuss and pass resolution in the Legislative Assembly against the Waqf Amendment Act.

Speaking to media persons, he said that his party was expecting discussion and passing of resolution brought against the Act.

“We waited for six years to end silence in J&K and discuss issues of concern. But whole session ran as per the BJP agenda,” Para said.

He alleged that a deeper conspiracy was at play, which prevented crucial issues concerning J&K including Waqf Amendment Bill from being discussed in the legislative Assembly.

“Unfortunately, the entire session was held according to the BJP's agenda. The Waqf Amendment Bill should have been debated thoroughly, as happened in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. We had expected strong opposition here, considering that Jammu and Kashmir is a Muslim-majority region. That didn’t happen—and it’s a huge disappointment,” Parra said outside the Assembly Secretariat.

He said that several other critical issues were also deliberately sidelined.

“There was a bill on daily wagers, a bill on property rights, a bill on the rationalization of reservations, and even a bill on statehood. All of this was left in disarray because the NC refused to allow a debate on the Waqf issue or to pass a resolution against the bill. That destroyed everything,” Para said.

About the pandemonium witnessed on the floor of the House on the last day of the budget session, particularly his verbal spat with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Mehraj Malik, Para was guarded in his response and termed the ruckus as “an issue of least importance.”

“I think the most important thing at a larger level is the Waqf issue. Unfortunately, on the last day of the session - after six years - we were finally looking forward to an elected government, to an assembly session where debates and discussions could be held, breaking the long silence in Jammu and Kashmir. But the most sensitive issue, the Waqf Amendment Bill, was brushed aside. India is the second-largest Muslim country, and Jammu and Kashmir is its largest Muslim-majority region. We expected a threadbare discussion and a resolution against the bill. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen—and that’s our biggest disappointment with this House,” he said.