AAP MLA Amanatullah moves SC against Waqf Bill, BJP calls it publicity stunt

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) A political war of words broke out between the BJP and the AAP in Delhi on Saturday, soon after Okhla MLA and ‘Chairman’ of Delhi Waqf Board Amanatullah Khan approached the Supreme Court against the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025.

Khan, in his petition, has said that the Bill curtails the religious and cultural autonomy of Muslims, enables arbitrary executive interference, and undermines minority rights to manage their religious and charitable institutions.

On the other hand, the BJP targeted him for trying to appease his voters through the publicity stunt.

The AAP slammed the Bill, passed by Parliament on Friday, as a legislation that shall breed arbitrary executive interference, and undermine minority rights to manage their religious and charitable institutions.

Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that after the change of government in the city, Khan is no longer the Chairman of Delhi Waqf Board, therefore, his challenge to the Bill in court is in an individual capacity for publicity and not on behalf of the Board.

Kapoor said that people of Delhi, including Muslims, very well know the quantum of corruption that happened in the Delhi Waqf Board under the chairmanship of Khan.

“It's the fear of that corruption and his role in it getting exposed which has made Amanatullah Khan rush to the Supreme Court,” he said.

Khan has had several brushes with the law in his 10-year tenure as Okhla legislator. In September last year, Khan was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case related to irregularities in appointments in the Delhi Waqf Board during his tenure as its chairperson. He was later granted bail.

In February, Khan was booked for trying to obstruct police and engaging in a scuffle. A police official said that the incident took place in the Jamia Nagar area when the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police attempted to arrest one Shabaz Khan, who is wanted in an attempted murder case. Khan’s confrontation with the police team helped Shabaz to escape arrest.

Khan defeated BJP's Manish Chaudhary by a margin of 23,639 votes in the Okhla constituency in the recently concluded Delhi Assembly polls. Khan got 88,392 votes whereas BJP's Chaudhary got 65,304 votes. Khan has won the elections from Okhla for the third consecutive time.

--IANS

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