New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI): Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Thursday criticised the provisions of Waqf (Amendment) Bill, saying 'the manner in which the rights of a community and autonomy to run their institutions have been taken away is unconstitutional'.

He said the bill is trying to snatch what the Constitution has given.

'I spoke for about 15 minutes on behalf of Congress and raised several issues. The manner in which the rights of the community, their freedom, and autonomy to run their own institutions have been taken away and reduced under government pressure is unconstitutional, according to Article 26,' the Congress leader told ANI.

Participating in the debate on the bill, the Congress Rajya Sabha MP said that the bill has 'less reform, more doubt; less justice, more bias.'

'What the Constitution gave, this bill is trying to take away. It should be called less of an amendment, more of a conspiracy. When a law is not equal, it becomes a trick of power. This is not a law, but arbitrariness wrapped in legal language,' he said.

He claimed that the bill is a violation of Article 25 (Freedom to practice, profess, propagate religion), and Article 26 (Freedom to manage religious affairs and establish institutions).

'The first point is that this bill 100 per cent violates Articles 25 and 26 of our Constitution. I had the opportunity, as a lawyer, to argue several issues of religious communities such as Sabarimala, Santhara, Dawoodi Bohra, etc. Two principles have been very clearly declared by the Supreme Court repeatedly, time and again, from the 1950s till now,' he said.

'These principles are religion-neutral. One is that if any practice is considered an integral part of any religion, faith, or sect--be it in its customs, traditions, history, culture, books, etc.--then it will receive the full and comprehensive protective shield of Articles 25 and 26,' he added.

Earlier Union Minority Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said that the Waqf Amendment Bill will benefit crores of people from the Muslim community and that the property under Waqf has not been properly used in the interest of the poor.

Rijiju, who moved the bill for passing in Rajya Sabha, said the government had strengthened mechanisms under the bill, including tribunals.

'We have included the Right to Appeal in this bill. If you don't get your right in the Tribunal, then you can file a petition in court under this Right to Appeal,' he said.

Rijiju said that Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, will be renamed as the UMEED (Unified Waqf Management Empowerment Efficiency and Development) Bill. (ANI)