NEW DELHI: Doubling down on his criticism of the new Waqf law, AIMIM chief Assaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday took a jibe at PM Modi over his Saudi visit, saying the Prime Minister should ask the Crown Prince if “Medina is built on Waqf land.
“PM Modi is visiting Saudi Arabia, where he will meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, warmly exchanging greetings like ‘Ya-Habibi, Ya-Habibi.’ Upon returning to India, he will urge the people to identify Muslims by their clothing,” Owaisi said while addressing an anti-Waqf gathering in Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium.
The Hyderabad MP also claimed that Waqf exists in all Mulsim countries, be it a “kingdom or democracy” and that the BJP’s assertion that Waqf provisions did not exist in the Muslim nation was a “lie”.
“Someone from the BJP said in the Parliament that this particular Muslim country does not have Waqf… I want to tell PM Narendra Modi that during his visit to Saudi Arabia, he should ask the crown prince if Medina is built on Waqf land. Waqf exists in every Muslim country, be it a democracy or a kingdom.”
On the ongoing debate over the separation of powers between the three wings of the democracy and the Supreme Court’s alleged “overlapping” into the legislative, Owaisi said: “The 2013 Waqf Bill was passed unanimously by both the houses of Parliament… As per the theory of separation of powers, the judiciary, the legislature, and the executive are all independent. If the government misuses its powers or any article of the Constitution, the judiciary will intervene. Where else will we go?”
The AIMIM chief also mocked VP Jagdeep Dhankar’s “Parliament is supreme” remark, saying, “if you make wrong law, the judiciary will intervene”.
“It is his limited understanding. Parliament is definitely supreme and independent. The judiciary and executive are also independent. This is why the stereo separation of powers is part of basic structure of our constitution… If you make wrong law, if you will misuse the constitutional articles, then judiciary will intervene,” Owaisi told news agency PTI.
