West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that the Waqf (Amendment) Act will not be implemented in the state and requested the minority community to remain united amid widespread protests.
“I know you are aggrieved because of the enactment of the Waqf Act. Have faith, nothing will happen in Bengal by which one can divide and rule. You send out a message that all have to stay together,” Mamata Banerjee said while speaking at a ‘Navkar Mahamantra Divas’ programme in Kolkata.
Banerjee also urged the community not to fall into the political trap and not be misled by provocations,
“Please remember, Didi will protect you and your property. You should give the message of live and let live. It is our duty to protect all those living in Bengal,” she said.
“If anyone provokes you to assemble politically, please don’t do it. If we stay together, then we can conquer the world. Look at the situation in the bordering areas of Bangladesh. This Bill should not have been passed at this time. We have 33 per cent minorities in Bengal. What should I do with them?," Banerjee added.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on April 3, and by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of the next day. It also received President Droupadi Murmu’s assent on Saturday.
Meanwhile, several pleas have been filed against the bill in the Supreme Court. The petitioners include Maulana Arshad Madani, president of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, a body of Muslim clerics, Lok Sabha MPs Asaduddin Owaisi and Mohammad Jawed, DMK’s A Raja, AAP’s MLA Amanatullah Khan, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and Association for Protection of Civil Rights among others.
The apex court is likely to hear petitions on April 15. The Centre has also filed a caveat on Tuesday, seeking a hearing before passing any order on the pending batch of writ petitions challenging the Act.
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