State Congress President Keshav Mahato Kamlesh said in a press conference today that the Deoghar airport should be named after the brave sons of the state. Just as the Kolkata airport is named after Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Patna after Jayaprakash Narayan, the two main airports of Odisha are named after Biju Patnaik and Veer Surendra Sai, similarly the Deoghar airport built in Santhal Pargana should be named after the brave sons of that place.
On the issue of Waqf Bill amendment, he said that the BJP wants to create differences in the society, divide and spread hatred, the Waqf bill is a weapon to deprive Muslims of their personal laws and property rights. This bill is an attack on the Constitution. This step is being taken only by targeting Muslims but in future it will also be used against other communities. This bill is a violation of the right to religious freedom given under Article 25 of the Constitution. He said that the central government wants to take over the properties of the Waqf Board.
He said that the Home Minister had given a statement in the Lok Sabha that there could be no appeal against the decision of the Waqf Tribunal, which was a blatant lie. An appeal can be made in the High Court under Section 83 (9) of the Waqf Act 1995, which clearly shows that this bill is a political agenda against the Muslim community. Article 26 of the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, but through this bill, the government is targeting the religious places of Muslims.
State Congress Working President Shahzada Anwar said that the central government is working to spoil the social harmony in the country. It is the beauty of India that there are only 24 MPs from the minority community in the Lok Sabha, but 232 MPs have opposed the Waqf Bill rising above religion. When there will be a discussion on the misuse of majority in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, then the Waqf Bill will be an example of it. In the pride of the majority, BJP is targeting minorities; lakhs of people are coming out on the streets in protest against BJP's decision.
State Minority Congress President Manzoor Ansari said that the statement given by BJP's spokesperson is like presenting a platter of lies in front of the society, if Zafar Islam has the strength then he should sit face to face with Imran Pratapgarhi and discuss the Waqf Bill. Stop working on the agenda given by BJP to mislead minorities.
State Congress media in-charge Rakesh Sinha, spokesperson Sonal Shanti, Jagdish Sahu, Rajan Verma were present in the press conference.
