AMRITSAR: Reacting to the Waqf Amendment Bill tabled in the Lok Sabha, Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, said that this is a direct interference of the Central Government in matters related to minorities.
He said that this amendment bill has been brought without taking the concerned parties into confidence, which has created a big controversy.
He said that it seems that the intention of the government is to abolish the rights of minorities and run the administration according to its own will..
Advocate Dhami said that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has always been in favor of protecting the rights of minorities and it opposes any decision taken against the rights of the minority community.
Advocate Dhami said that the central government had earlier brought a uniform civil code in the country as part of its policy of suppressing minorities, which was a direct interference in the personal laws and religious beliefs of different communities, religions.
Similarly, instead of direct recruitment in the army, attempts were made to snatch away the reserved rights of minorities through decisions like Agniveer. Making it mandatory for Sikh soldiers in the army to wear helmets was also part of this policy, which was widely opposed.
The SGPC President said that the government should not interfere in any way in the matters related to minority communities without consulting them.
He said that minority communities have every right to protect their heritage and religious institutions and laws like the Waqf Amendment Bill are an attempt to weaken this right. This will affect the rights and concerns of the community.
Advocate Dhami said that such a policy of the government in matters related to minorities is not right. The government should withdraw this bill and refrain from taking any such decision without consulting the representatives of minorities.