'Raises questions whether she has...': Kiren Rijiju on Mamata Banerjee's refusal to implement Waqf Act

Kiren Rijiju

Minority Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's outright refusal to implement the amended Waqf Act in her state raises questions on whether she has any moral authority or the Constitutional right to occupy that the position of a chief minister.

In an exclusive interview to NDTV, the parliamentary affairs minister clearly indicated that West Bengal CM's sustained stance against various issues-- Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizens and Uniform Civil Code is only a reflection of her non-adherence to the  Constitution and the lack of faith in country's Constitutional processes.

Mamata Banerjee clarified that the Waqf Bill was not her creation and reaffirmed that it will not be enacted in the state. Amid unrest in Murshidabad, she urged calm and restraint, threatening legal consequences for those inciting violence during the protests.

Mamata Banerjee in the X post sought to remind the residents of Bengal that the Waqf Bill was introduced and made into law after the Central government tabled it. “Remember, we did not make the law that many are agitated against. The law was made by the central government. So the answer you want should be sought from the central government.” CM Banerjee addressed rioters.

In the same interview to NDTV, Rijiju, refering to the legal challenge to the amended Waqf law, said he is "confident" that the Supreme Court would not "venture into legislative matter". "I am confident that the Supreme Court will not venture into a legislative matter," he told the broadcaster. "We have to respect each other. If tomorrow the government interferes into judiciary, it won't be nice. The separation of powers is well defined," he said.

On Monday, The Communist Party of India (CPI) joined the queue of petitioners who have moved the Supreme Court to challenge the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The Centre passed the Bill without proper consideration of the objections raised by members of the Joint Parliamentary Committee formed to review the Bill, and other stakeholders, the petition said.

Meanwhile, a plea has been filed in the Supreme Court with regard to violent protests in West Bengal's Murshidabad district against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, wherein three people were killed. The petitioner alleged that the sitting minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury has allegedly threatened to bring West Bengal to a standstill in protest against the Waqf Bill. He claimed he could mobilize 10,000 people at 50 locations to block traffic across city.

A fresh bout of violence rocked Bengal's South 24 Parganas district today. This follows violence last week in Muslim-dominated Murshidabad district, in which three people were killed, railway tracks were blocked, and there was arson and vandalism. Over 200 people have been arrested in connection with that violence so far.