AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday, reacting to reports that the Centre is planning to amend the Waqf Board Act, said that it shows that the Modi government wants to take away the autonomy of the board and intends to interfere in it.

Addressing a conference, Owaisi noted that when Parliament is in session, the central government is acting against Parliamentary supremacy and privileges and informing the media and not informing Parliament.

Owaisi said the buzz that has been going on in the media about this proposed amendment shows that the Modi government wants to take away the autonomy of the Waqf Board and it wants to interfere. He added that this itself is against the freedom of religion.

The Hyderabad MP also alleged that the BJP has been against these boards and Waqf properties from the very beginning and they have been working on a Hindutva agenda.

He said now if the government makes an amendment to the establishment and composition of the Waqf Board, then there will be administrative chaos, a loss of autonomy of the Waqf Board and if the control of the government increases over the Waqf Board, then the independence of Waqf will be affected, Owaisi warned.

The AIMIM chief also said, referring to media reports, that it is written that if there is any disputed property, then these people will say that the property is disputed, and “we will get it surveyed.”

The survey will be conducted by the BJP, CMs and he said the results are pretty guessable. There are many such dargahs in the country where BJP-RSS claims that they are not dargahs and mosques, so the executive is trying to snatch the power of the judiciary, he asked.

Notably, earlier reports suggested that the government was looking to bring amendments to the Waqf Act.

According to the reports, the Centre is likely to bring a total of 40 amendments to the act in the next Parliament sitting.

The Congress on Wednesday moved a privilege motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for hailing the caste remark made by BJP leader Anurag Thakur against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.

Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has written a complaint to the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha, accusing the Prime Minister of breaching Parliamentary norms by endorsing Thakur’s speech, which comprised remarks that were later expunged by the House.

Channi’s complaint resonates with the fact that although certain objectionable portions of Thakur’s speech during the debate on Budget 2024 were expunged due to their contentious nature, Modi shared the entire speech, including the expunged portions, on the social media platform X.

He claimed that the move defied Parliamentary protocol, as such remarks are not supposed to be repeated in public. He accused Modi of propagating those comments that were formally stricken off the record and charged him with disregard for established parliamentary decorum.

The controversy erupted when a seasoned MP from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, Anurag Thakur, attacked Gandhi personally, to which there were strong objections raised by Congress MPs present, including the chairperson of the session, Jagdambika Pal.

Pal, however, assured that the offending remarks would be expunged. But Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said Modi endorsed these remarks in public and termed it as reflective of deep-seated casteism, which is a grave breach of parliamentary privilege.

With the backlash, Modi’s tweet came in praise of Thakur’s speech as a “must hear” for its blend of “facts and humour,” drawing condemnation from Congress leaders who accused him of flouting parliamentary norms.

They have argued that Modi’s endorsement and public dissemination of expunged content undermine the very sanctity of parliamentary proceedings and decorum.

But the incident has further heightened the political pitch with Rahul Gandhi stating categorically that despite personal attacks, the Opposition would go ahead with legislative proposals like the caste census bill in Parliament.

It equally showcases the increasingly widening divide and a hotting-up atmosphere of Indian politics where complete freedom of speech and expression in markets is allowed, while parliamentary etiquette has become a tough task amidst loud arguments and partisan fights.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the BJP leaders meeting for two consecutive days, has asked party Chief Ministers to focus on improving people’s lives through the speedy implementation of the government’s flagship schemes and realising the vision of Viksit States.

Speaking at the first meeting of the party’s Chief Ministers and deputy CMs after the Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi emphasised that the full benefits of the schemes should go to the people. Work on it and ensure it, he urged. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda were also present.

In a post on X, after attending the meeting, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also signaled his continuity in office amid rumblings in the party following the setback in the Lok Sabha polls and friction with his two deputy CMS.

PM Modi asked party leaders to improve synergy between the party and the government for better governance, and both Modi and Shah instructed the speedy implementation of ongoing flagship schemes as well as new schemes launched in state budgets and the Union Budget.

Additionally, it was mentioned that good governance cells were directed to regularly monitor the progress of implementation. Some states were also encouraged to implement schemes that have performed well in other states. For example, the Maharashtra government’s Ladki Bahin Yojana, modeled on the popular Ladli Behna Yojana introduced by the erstwhile Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh, was cited as an example.

After the meeting, Prime Minister Modi said that the party was working tirelessly to further good governance and fulfil the aspirations of the people. Similarly, Yogi Adityanath wrote, “Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the journey to build a strong and self-reliant Uttar Pradesh with the mantra of security, good governance, and welfare of the poor continues unabated”.

It’s worth noting that the BJP’s performance in the polls saw its tally drop from 303 in 2019 to 240 in 2024. The loss of seats in Uttar Pradesh, from 62 in 2019 to 33 in 2024, is believed to have contributed to the reduction of its numbers in the lower House.