As soon as the House assembled, Opposition MPs raised slogans against the bill and demanded its withdrawal. Although the bill was listed for discussion and passage, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju informed the House during Question Hour that it won’t be taken up.
Amid sloganeering, Rijiju told the House that he had “informed senior leaders of Congress yesterday and today that we are not going to take up the bill for consideration and passing”. He maintained that the bill was not directed against any religion or organisation. However, this did not pacify the Opposition, prompting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House till 12 noon.
Earlier, before the proceedings began, Opposition MPs staged a protest at Parliament’s Makar Dwar.
The bill proposes that assets created using foreign funds could be taken over if an entity authorised to receive such funds has its licence cancelled, suspended, or allowed to lapse. Congress and CPI(M) have maintained that these provisions could hinder charitable work carried out by Christian missionary groups.
In poll-bound Kerala, where BJP is actively trying to woo the Christian community, the bill has emerged as a contentious issue. The Opposition has maintained that the legislation could be “misused” while Kerala BJP has approached the central leadership, claiming that its passage could affect the party’s poll prospects.
Congress MP Hibi Eden told reporters that the bill was “draconian” and it would hamper the interests of the minority communities and NGOs. “After amendments to the Waqf Act, this is another move by the Modi government to curtail the rights of minorities,” he said.
