Centre attempting to divide society through Waqf Amendment Bill, says K Radhakrishnan MP; Suresh Gopi responds

NEW DELHI: MP K Radhakrishnan on Wednesday accused the central government of attempting to divide society through the Waqf Amendment Bill. Speaking during the discussion on the bill, he argued that the bill was not introduced for the welfare of the poor, children, or women, as claimed by the Union Law Minister. He asserted that the government was fully aware of this and was using the bill as a tool to create societal divisions.

Radhakrishnan also recalled a past controversy in Kerala, where a member of the Devaswom Board was wrongly assumed to be Christian due to her name, triggering widespread unrest. "In 1987, there was a massive protest demanding that Hindu temples should be handed over exclusively to Hindus," Radhakrishnan reminded the Lok Sabha. While discussing the matter, he remarked that "Honorable Minister Suresh Gopi is paying attention to this issue."

Following this, Minister Suresh Gopi responded. When Radhakrishnan mentioned Suresh Gopi's name, session chair Dilip Saikia asked if the minister wished to provide any clarifications, prompting Gopi to reply.

Criticizing the Kerala Legislative Assembly’s resolution calling for the withdrawal of the Waqf Amendment Bill, Suresh Gopi asserted that once the bill is implemented, the resolution passed by the state assembly would "sink into the Arabian Sea."