The Uttar Pradesh government has sounded high alert in the state in view of the tabling of the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The UP Police have cancelled all leaves of their personnel with the instructions to keep a vigil in view of security in Bareilly, Aligarh, Rampur and Meerut.

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Meanwhile, flag marches are being carried out in several cities of the state.

DGP Prashant Kumar said that the holidays have been canceled till the next order.

The Samajwadi Party and other Opposition parties, along with Muslim organisations, announced a protest against the Bill.

Additional police force has been deployed in Old Lucknow with four companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) being kept in reserve.

However, there is a mixed reaction to the Waqf Bill with the BJP leaders in support while the Opposition and Muslim organisations opposing it.

UP Minority Affairs Minister Danish Ali has welcomed the Waqf Amendment Bill and has appealed to the Opposition to support it so that all irregularities in the Waqf could be removed.

The BJP leader and former UP minister Mohsin Raza thanked the prime minister for bringing the Waqf Amendment Bill. He said this would be the biggest ‘Idi’ from PM Modi for backward Muslims.

On the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 in Mathura, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, who was in Mathura today, while reacting on the Waqf Bill, said, “When I was a minister in Uttar Pradesh, I was in charge of the Waqf Department. No less than 90% of the Waqf property was embroiled in court cases. Is there any work being done for the society through waqf in Mathura? There are several lawsuits on a waqf land, which should be solved. The poor are not benefiting from this. Today, Waqf is occupied by big people”.

SP Spokesperson Rajendra Choudhary said his party was opposing the Bill and party president Akhilesh Yadav has already spoken about it in the Lok Sabha.

He said that the BJP was trying to grab Waqf properties through this law.

All India Muslim Personal Law Board ( AIMPLB) member Maulana Khalid Rashid said, “Today is the third day of Eid and the news came that the Waqf Bill was tabled in Parliament. We appeal to all Parliament members to support the Muslim community in the Waqf Bill and vote against the Bill.”

He further claimed that this Bill is not supported by Muslim under any circumstances.

“We have been opposing this Bill from the beginning. Whatever objections were made about the Bill, we have already registered before the JPC Committee. We hope that this bill should not be passed in Parliament. Our appeal to people to maintain peace in the state,” Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali said.

The Waqf Amendment Bill was declared by Maulana Mahmud Madani, President of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, unconstitutional in Saharanpur. “This is a violation of fundamental rights. This move of the government is based on the majoritarian mentality and against democratic values”.

Maulana Madani said,the government is trying to pass this Bill on the strength of numerical majority, which is completely unjust and undemocratic.

“This Bill has been forcibly brought in Parliament, which aims to snatch the rights of minorities. It cannot be accepted under any circumstances,” he said.

Maulana Sufiyan Nizami, spokesperson of the Islamic Center of India, said , “We are constantly opposing the Waqf Bill and crores of Muslims in the country have registered their protest through e-mail and other means. But the opinion of crores of Indian Muslims was ignored. Today we hope that the bill will not be passed. If the bill is passed, then we will stand with whatever decision AIMPLB takes”.