Amid protests over the new Waqf legislation in several parts of the country, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday alleged the law “targeted one particular religion” despite India being a secular country.Abdullah was speaking to reporters on the legislation and protests in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district over the law on the sidelines of a conference in Delhi.
The Centre on April 8 notified the Waqf (Amendment) Act, which received President Droupadi Murmu’s assent on April 5 after its passage in Parliament following heated debates in both Houses.
The discussions witnessed objections from opposition parties that described the legislation as “anti-Muslim and unconstitutional” while the government said the “historic reform” would benefit the minority community.