New Delhi: The Waqf (Amendment) Bill has successfully passed both houses of Parliament and now only requires the President’s signature to become law. However, even after its passage, protests have erupted across multiple cities including Kolkata, Chennai, and Ahmedabad. Opposition parties and several Muslim organizations are making every effort to halt the bill’s final implementation.
What options are left for the opposition?
Even though the bill is almost at the final stage, the opposition is exploring three key strategies:
- Legal Route – Challenge the bill in court
- Street Protests – Mobilize mass movements
- Political Pressure – Leverage alliance politics
The question is, will these efforts be enough to compel the government to reconsider?
Court Petitions Already Filed
Opposition parties like AIMIM, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, and Congress have already approached the Supreme Court. Congress MP Mohammad Jawed from Bihar’s Kishanganj has also filed a petition. They argue that the bill violates fundamental rights and goes against the core principles of the Constitution.
Can Protests Force a Rollback?
Friday saw massive demonstrations across major cities, where protestors burned effigies of leaders supporting the bill and raised strong anti-government slogans. However, it remains to be seen whether such demonstrations can bring about a rollback.
Political Calculations and Bihar Factor
With Bihar elections approaching, opposition hopes that discontent among Muslim leaders in JD(U) could create internal pressure on CM Nitish Kumar. The opposition believes that without the support of JD(U) and Chandrababu Naidu’s party, the BJP wouldn’t have succeeded in passing the bill. They now aim to exploit possible internal rifts to their advantage.
However, Nitish Kumar has clearly stated his party stands firmly with the BJP — indicating that the opposition may face an uphill battle.
