The Congress, on Friday, announced that it would soon challenge in the Supreme Court the constitutionality of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which was passed by Parliament last night.

Congress General Secretary in-charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh said, “The INC will very soon be challenging in the Supreme Court the constitutionality of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.”

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The Congress MP mentioned several laws, including the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, which the party has challenged in the apex court. “The INC’s challenge of the CAA, 2019 is being heard in the Supreme Court. The INC’s challenge of the 2019 amendments to the RTI Act, 2005 is being heard in the Supreme Court. The INC’s challenge to the validity of the amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules (2024) is being heard in the Supreme Court. The INC’s intervention to uphold the letter and spirit of the Places of Worship Act, 1991 is being heard in the Supreme Court,” he wrote in a post on X.

Attacking the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, Ramesh said Congress would continue to resist all “assaults” on the Constitution from the ruling dispensation . “We are confident and will continue to resist all assaults of the Modi government on the principles, provisions, and practices that are contained in the Constitution of India,” the parliamentarian said.

Notably, the Congress vehemently opposed the Bill stating that it was an attack on the basic structure of the Constitution and was aimed at “polarising” and “dividing” the country on the basis of religion.

Strongly opposing the Bill, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said, “This is Bill is being weaponised for political gain. This is being used by the Modi government to systematically weaken the diversity of India.”

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called the Bill a weapon aimed at marginalising and usurping personal laws and property rights of Muslims. “This attack on the Constitution by the RSS-BJP and their allies is aimed at Muslims today but sets a precedent to target other communities in future. The Congress party strongly opposes this legislation,” he added.

Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi stated that the Bill is a brazen assault on the Constitution and part of the BJP’s deliberate strategy to keep society in a state of permanent polarisation.