NC leader Ruhullah Mehdi meets Mirwaiz in Delhi, discuss issues
The two discussed about a joint effort for the rejection of Waqf Amendment Bill inside and outside Parliament -legislatively and politically - by meeting important political players
National Conference (NC) Member of Parliament Ruhullah Mehdi and Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq held a surprise meeting in New Delhi and discussed the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill, religious freedom of Muslims in the country, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir post 2019 and the plight of youth of Kashmir who are in jails.
The two discussed about a joint effort for the rejection of Waqf Amendment Bill inside and outside Parliament -legislatively and politically - by meeting important political players.
Mirwaiz confirmed to HT that Mehdi came to visit him on Wednesday. “He is in Delhi for the Parliament session. There was a deliberation on Waqf Bill and the current situation in J&K,” Mirwaiz said.
Mirwaiz, who has been in Delhi since January 24 after his meeting with joint parliamentary committee on Waqf Amendment Bill, also held a series of meetings with various leaders, including MP Asaduddin Owaisi and Maulana Mehmood Madni, president of Jamiat Ulama i Hind. He also held meetings on Thursday.
The meeting of Mehdi and Mirwaiz holds a major significance for J&K as the former is a mainstream politician while the latter had been associated with separatist politics in the valley since the 1990s.
Srinagar MP Ruhullah Mehdi said that the discussion revolved around a political effort to convince key allies of BJP- head of Telugu Desam Party, Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to vote against the amendment bill.
“There will be talks with other Members of Parliament, those who are in favour of minorities, and all the Muslims members. Although the numbers are in favour of the government in the Parliament to pass this bill as they have support of Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu. But in a legislative effort (inside parliament) and a political effort outside Parliament, these things were discussed,” he said.
He said that there will be an attempt to talk to all the parties in Parliament to mount a resistance against the Waqf bill, including with the party of Chandrababu Naidu. “We will do our last bid in parliament so that they don’t get numbers and the bill is rejected,” he said.
“We also discussed what can be done collectively because Waqf issue is connected to our religious freedom and practice. Not only in Kashmir but all the Muslims across the country have concerns over the issue. The deliberations were on what we can do together so that there is religious freedom in J&K and rest of the country,” Mehdi said.
Mirwaiz, who is patron of Muttaheda Majlis-e-Ulama(MMU) - a conglomerate of some 47 religious bodies and Islamic education institutions of Jammu and Kashmir - has been in New Delhi after meeting the Joint Parliamentary Committee led by panel chairman Jagdambika Pal on January 24 demanding “immediate rejection of the proposed amendments of Waqf Bill, engagement with stakeholders, safeguards for religious autonomy and protection of Waqf Properties”.
On August 8, 2024, the central government proposed a Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024 triggering protests and concerns from several opposition members pointing out the bill’s potential impact on the federal structure and its “encroachment on religious autonomy”. The government claimed that the bill will benefit ordinary Muslims, including women and children. After the backlash, the Centre proposed sending the bill to a joint parliamentary committee which presented its report on the bill to Lok Sabbha speaker on Thursday.
The meeting between the two Kashmir leaders has triggered political murmurs in the valley.
“Not sure if this is accurate but if it is — it is a welcome development. Mirwaiz Kashmir has a role to play in providing a clean political alternative (electoral or not). And if (and that’s a BIG ‘if’) @RuhullahMehdi sees a future beyond NC, he has a role to play as well,” said former city mayor, Junaid Azim Mattu