The country is changing and the Congress is watching. Where they were and how many seats they are left with now in Lok Sabha, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
Citing articles from the Constitution, senior BJP leader and MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday issued a point-by-point rebuttal to the Opposition and the critics of the Waqf Bill, shutting down the claims that it is “unconstitutional” while advocating it is meant for the upliftment of backward Muslim women and the community.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the debate after the tabling of the bill, he lambasted the Congress-led Opposition over their repeated objection to the bill, wondering if they are pulled back due to their “political majboori” from supporting the welfare of Muslims in the country.
Here are Ravi Shankar Prasad’s top quotes:
- There’s a trend of bringing a red copy of the Constitution but I’ve got here the “green Constitution” kept in the Parliament.
- Article 14 states that the government can bring in laws for the welfare of women, then how is this bill unconstitutional. This bill is for the upliftment of backward Muslims.
- I will reply to the Opposition’s claims flagging the Constitution with arguments mentioned in the Constitution itself.
- Waqf is not a religious body, it is just a statutory body.
- A total of 8 lakh pieces of land belong to the Waqf across the country. How many schools, orphanages, skill centers, and hospitals were built on those lands?
- Opposition says their heart is willing to let reforms come in but they are held back due to their political obligations.
- When Article 370 was abrogated in Jammu and Kashmir, the Opposition claimed it would lead to violence across the country, but what happened? The region has witnessed unprecedented development and created employment opportunities.
- The Muslim community’s ideals will be Abul Kalam Azad, APJ Abdul Kalam, Ashfaq Ullah Khan and Mohammed Shami. We thought the trading of votes would stop after 25-30 years but they (Opposition) are yet to come out of it.
- The country is changing and the Congress is watching. Where they were and how many seats they are left with now (in Lok Sabha).
- I want to speak about the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. When the Supreme Court was hearing the triple talaq case, the board told the court, ‘Do not pass a verdict; we will create a nikahnama and circulate it across the country, stating that while conducting nikah, a condition will be included prohibiting triple talaq.’
- Remember, when the law was passed, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board incited a massive movement against the triple talaq law.