Patna: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Wednesday launched a nationwide protest against the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill at the Gardanibagh Dharna Sthal near the state Assembly in Patna.
RJD leaders Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Azad Samaj Party President Chandrashekhar Azad, and Samajwadi Party's MP Maulana Mohibullah were among the prominent political leaders to attend the protest gathering.
Addressing the protestors, Tejashwi assured them that his party and its leader, Lalu Yadav, firmly stand with them in their fight against the "unconstitutional" Waqf (Amendment) Bill. "RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav has come here to support and strengthen you. We have opposed this unconstitutional, undemocratic bill in Parliament, Vidhan Sabha, and Vidhan Parishad," Tejashwi said.
"Today, we brought an adjournment motion and demanded a discussion on it, but the House was adjourned. We want to tell you that we stand with you on this issue... Our effort is that this bill should not be passed at any cost," Tejashwi added.
"We are followers of the Constitution, we believe in Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, and at any cost, we will try to stop this bill from being passed," he added.
Several leaders of prominent Muslim organisations in the country and social activists are attending the protest. According to the organisers, all the people involved in secular politics have been invited to the protest gathering. AIMPLB spokesperson SQR Ilyas said on Sunday that leaders from JD(U), RJD, Congress and Lok Janshakti Party, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, had been invited to the gathering in Patna.
Protest In Front Of Andhra Assembly On Saturday
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, an umbrella organisation of the Muslim organisations in the country, had on Sunday announced a nationwide agitation against the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill.
"As part of the first phase of the agitation", in addition to Patna, "large protest sit-ins have also been planned in front of the state assembly in Vijayawada on March 29," read a press statement by AIMPLB.
The press release stated that the senior leadership of the AIMPLB, along with representatives of national and state-level religious and social organisations, will participate in these demonstrations. Leaders from civil society, prominent personalities from other minority communities and key figures from Dalit, Adivasi, and OBC sections have also confirmed their participation.
"Despite the issuance of whips by various political parties requiring MPs to attend the ongoing Parliament session, invitations have been extended to opposition members of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to attend the sit-ins," it added.
The Board has also prepared a detailed nationwide agitation plan under which protests will be organised in all state capitals. Major rallies are scheduled to be held in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Malerkotla (Punjab), and Ranchi. The campaign will include sit-in demonstrations, human chains, and social media campaigns, especially hashtag drives on X.
