Aliah University students rally against Waqf Amendment Act

Kolkata: On Friday, students from Aliah University in Kolkata organised a rally to protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, demanding its withdrawal. The demonstrators marched from their campus and temporarily blocked the seven-point crossing in the Park Circus area after bypassing police barricades.

The Aliah University students, who marched from their campus nearby, raised slogans demanding that the law be withdrawn.

"The BJP is talking of 'sabka sath, sabka vikas', but one community is being discriminated against," one of the students participating in the rally alleged.

The BJP has announced a fortnight-long public awareness campaign starting April 20, focusing on Muslims, to highlight the benefits of the Waqf (Amendment) Act and address opposition criticism. During a workshop in New Delhi on Thursday, party president J.P. Nadda accused opposition parties of misleading Muslims about the amended law for vote-bank politics.

Nadda emphasised that the law, effective from April 8, aims to utilise Waqf properties for the welfare of poor Muslims and women, liberating these assets from the control of a small, influential group and ensuring broader benefits for the minority community.

(inputs from PTI)