AAP MP Meet Hayer opposes Wakf Bill, calls it an attack on minority religions

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Lok Sabha member from Sangrur, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, strongly opposed the Wakf Bill in Parliament, alleging that it paves the way for the BJP government to seize properties belonging to minority religions.

Hayer said the bill is a direct attack on waqf properties and could set a precedent for targeting other minority religious institutions, including those of Sikhs and Buddhists. He argued that the bill violates Article 14 of the Constitution and questioned how a law could dictate personal religious practices.

“The BJP’s politics of division is evident in this bill. The central government’s attitude towards Muslims has been clear over the past 11 years. Despite claims of being serious about Muslim welfare, there is not a single Muslim BJP Lok Sabha member, nor a Muslim MLA in Uttar Pradesh,” Hayer said.

He also pointed out that while the government cited the Sachar Committee’s recommendations, the same report noted that 70 percent of waqf board properties in India are encroached upon, including 355 by the government itself. “What has the government done about these encroachments?” he asked.

Hayer cited historical examples of religious harmony, referring to Sher Mohammad Khan’s slogan of ‘Haa’ in Malerkotla, his parliamentary constituency, to caution the government against religious divisions. He vowed to oppose the bill and fulfill his commitment to Malerkotla’s residents.

The AAP MP further argued that the bill undermines Article 26 of the Constitution, which grants religious communities the right to establish and manage their institutions. “This is an attack on the Constitution itself,” he said.