Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju today welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on the Waqf Amendment Bill, describing it as a beacon of India’s parliamentary democracy. Speaking to the media in Mumbai, Mr Rijiju noted that the Bill was passed in Parliament after the longest discussion in history and asserted that it will benefit the entire Muslim community, including poor Muslim brothers and women. He said that the government had presented all the facts and the rationale behind this Bill before the Supreme Court and lauded the apex court’s judgment as a victory for that vision.

 

 

Earlier, Mr Rijiju presided over the groundbreaking ceremony of the Centre of Excellence in Heritage Languages and Cultural Studies at the Kalina Campus of Mumbai University. Addressing the occasion, he said this was not merely the beginning of a course, but the laying of a strong foundation for India’s bright future rooted in its cultural heritage.

 

 

He reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047 and expressed confidence that India is on the right track to achieve this goal. He added that the way forward lies in Atmanirbhar Bharat and called upon Mumbai University to play a catalytic role in this journey.

 

 

 

Mr Rijiju also asserted that India has always been an inclusive society embracing everyone. He criticised reports of deteriorating human rights conditions in the country, claiming that no other nation cares for its minorities the way India does. He said that no one is unsafe in India and that incidents of assaults on minorities have reduced to negligible levels since 2014. He affirmed that India is democratic not only by its Constitution but also by its character.