Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray’s Point of Order under Rule 241, conveying his right to give a personal explanation when another Member has said something about him that is incorrect

Sir, I have a point of order. Rule 241. Kindly look at Rule 241. It is regarding ‘personal explanation’. A Member has the right to give personal explanation when his name is mentioned, he has been named by some other Member.Kindly go through the rule. How can he expunge? It cannot be expunged. No, no. It is regarding personal explanation. If someone says something against me, then, I have a right under Rule 24 to give personal explanation. … I am in the dark. I was not in the know of… You cannot encroach upon the right of a Member. Rule has given us the authority. No, Sir. My right cannot be encroached upon. It is not fair.

Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev’s speech on The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, as Reported by Joint Committee and The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024

Sir, it is not the first time that the Waqf Act is being amended. It has been done earlier too. But, today, the tone, the tenure and the atmosphere in the House, I think, is not comparable to what may have happened in 2013. Sir, there are two types of intentions. One is the legislative intent which the courts look at when they interpret an Act, and the other is the political intent which all of us in the Opposition have to look at, before we cast our vote today at the end of the debate. What I feel–when I hear both sides, when I hear the Treasury Benches–what stands between the Opposition and what stands between the Treasury Benches is mistrust and why that mistrust is happening is because of the regime that is in power. We are not just debating the Constitution, Article 25 or 26 of the Constitution but, we are today, actually, debating two ideologies. An ideology that the Bharatiya Janata Party believes in and the ideology which the party sitting in the Opposition believe in. Sir, we believe in an ideology that every religion is equal, every race is equal, every gender is equal. But, when we look at this side, and we listen to their speeches carefully, they are a party with an ideology that keep taking us back to the days of partition, those painful days. And, today, I want to remind this House that after the massive aftermath of the partition of India when we were split into two countries, the two leading personalities who were at the forefront of politics in India and Pakistan were Pandit Nehru and Liaquat Ali. And, the two of them entered into a 1950 Pact showing trust in each other’s Constitutions’ belief and agreed at length that Minorities in our country and the Minorities in their countries, Hindus, Sindhis, etc., would be able to live with dignity. That is what we need to look back at. What is this Waqf (Amendment) Bill reeking of? It reeks a mistrust to replace an election process where elected members will sit on the Waqf Board, replacing selection by the State Government. Sir, there is a provision, which, I personally find very shocking that the managing trustee, the mutawalli can be removed from his position and one of the grounds is, if he is a member of an organisation which is banned under UAPA. Sir, if this is the kind of racial profiling this Bill is going to do, then, this Bill is suspect of being unconstitutional. I add to that another question; by saying that a non-Muslim person cannot donate land to a waqf, whether we are not creating a bigger divide between the Muslims and non-Muslims in this country, something which hon. Member, Shri Kapil Sibal said. Sir, to say that a Muslim must be a practising Muslim for five years, gives rise to a kind of discretion at the officer level in intervention which, I believe, would be सर, इस बिल का नाम आप लोगाना न उम्मीद रखा है। मैं आप लोगों से यह उम्मीद रखती हूं as a Member of All India Trinamool Congress कि जब-जब 6 दिसंबर आएगा, तब-तब भारतीय जनता पार्टी के कार्यकर्ता अलग-अलग जगह पर जुलूस न निकालें। मैं आपसे यह उम्मीद रखती हूं कि असम के मुख्य मंत्री दूसरे प्रदेश में जाकर सीमा टोकर न कहें कि हमने 1,200 मदरसे बंद कर दिए। मैं इस सरकार से यह उम्मीद रखती हूं that you will not tell shopkeepers कि अपनी दुकान के सामने अपना नाम लिखिए। आपको डा. सिंहवी की बात अच्छी नहीं लगी, जब उन्होंने कहा कि कुछ ही सालों में इस बिल को शायद unconstitutional मान कर उड़ाया जाएगा।… मैं उन्हीं शब्दों को घुमा कर बोलती हूं कि जब जब बीजेपी की सरकार हारेगी और जरूर हारेगी, तब हम पहला काम यही करेंगे कि इस एक्ट के जितने भी unconstitutional provisions हैं, उन्हें हम हटाने का काम करेंगे।

Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray’s intervention under Rule 29, saying that the Revised and even the Supplementary List of Business were listed for April 3, but it is now April 4 as the time is past 12 o’clock at night

Sir, my point of order is under Rule 29(1). It says that a List of Business for the day shall be prepared by the Secretary-General, etc. Now, the List of Business for 3rd April was prepared by the Secretary-General; then, a Revised List of Business; thereafter, a Supplementary List of Business. All were dated 3rd April. We are now on 4th April; there is no List of Business for 4th April.

MP Derek O’Brien, Parliamentary Party Leader in Rajya Sabha, speaking on the Proclamation issued by the President on February 13, 2025 under Article 356(1) of the Constitution in relation to the State of Manipur

Sir, 3,80,000 kilometres! That is the number. It is 3,80,000 kilometres. We have done a calculation that in the last 22 months, how much the Prime Minister of India has travelled nationally and internationally. I may be wrong by a thousand kilometres this way or that way, but it is 3,80,000 kilometres. That is a lot of kilometres! One more number is, 3,80,000 kilometres is the distance from Planet Earth to the Moon. It is the distance from Planet Earth to the Moon. But the same man could not take a flight of 2,400 kilometres to a State called Manipur. I can carry on with numbers, but I want to stay with Manipur. Otherwise, I can start that you thought you would get 400; you didn’t get 350; you dropped below 303; you would be happy with 272; and, now you are a creaky and shaky coalition with 240. Sir, I went to Manipur with my colleagues because the All India Trinamool Congress and Ms. Mamata Banerjee sent us there. We went there in July. We got as far as the airport; we spent the day there; we met a few people. We couldn’t go in, but we tried. Then, all the Opposition Parties, a few months later, went to the hon. President and presented our case to the President of India. It has been 22 months; and, now, after these 22 months, we are here today. Sir, there has been prolonged violence. Children, orphans, women, men, the elderly, shopkeepers and everyone have been affected. The problem is, 22 months have finished, but you are still so arrogant that you won’t even acknowledge that there is a problem. That’s your problem. Show some humility. First, acknowledge that there is a problem. And worse still, you go and talk to the people. When I met one simple man and his young wife, he told it to me very beautifully. He said, at that time when it starts, for every month this problem lasts and festers as a wound, it will take years to fix. Twenty-two months, Mr. Prime Minister, through you, I say, will take 22 years to fix in that State. Sir, we are a Council of States. And what are you trying to do? On the last day of this Parliament Session, you brought this Resolution; you could not have brought the Statutory Resolution on day one and discussed it. Who are you trying to show it from the Council of States at 3 o’clock in the morning? What 3 o’clock, if you bring it at 5 o’clock, we will be here to discuss it! Did you see what happened just now? Did you see what happened? A BJP Member was given 15 minutes to speak on Manipur. I saw two people, floor managers, going and requesting him to cut it down and finish it in two. He finished in two minutes. Talking about Manipur! Talking about love for Manipur from this Council of States and in the morning we have to hear: “Today is Rajya Sabha Day.” Yes, it is Rajya Sabha Day, actually, yesterday. This is a message from the Council of States, from the Trinamool Congress. Sir, if he starts heckling, that is a bad example for all of us. If you want to interrupt, I would yield, speak! Come on. When Trinamool speaks from the back, four Ministers interrupt. Allow us to speak. I have not spoken at all in this Session. I have not made a single speech. Allow me to speak. If I say something unparliamentary, throw it out. The message from the Council of States to the hills and the valleys of Manipur, is that “We are with you”. From the Council of States to Kerala, we are with you. From the Council of States to Goa — where you are trying to turn it into a concrete jungle — we are with you. And Bengal, we all know about Bengal. Rs. 1.75 lakh crores, we would not go there today! Manipur; what is their fault? They are Indian citizens, Hindus, Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, Baptists, they are all there. Why are you doing this to them? And worse still, the irony is, we are discussing this State in the way we are doing this in Parliament, in the dead of night, three in the morning. No TV channels, no prime time. Why? Look at Manipur during the day. Look at Manipur in the eye and talk to Manipur Night means it is sinister. And do not tell us about endurance because I come from a Party where my Leader, for farmers, went on a hunger strike for 26 days. So never talk to me about endurance. You talk about women, what do you do to the women of Manipur? Do you not remember that picture which went international, those two women? Women, women, women! Do not talk to us about women. You have 14 per cent to 15 per cent in Parliament. We have 39 per cent who have won elections and come. We do not have any MLAs in Manipur, we do not have a party in Manipur but we are still there for Manipur. That is the spirit of the Council of States. That is the spirit. Let us not… Very good, very good! Beautiful! Sir, I seek your protection. It is 3 o’clock in the morning. And before I end, there are two more points. One is, as an Opposition, like-minded parties, we have been asking from day one. Choose a subject and give us a two-and-a-half hour discussion. Nothing! But we will still discuss at 2 a.m., 3 a.m. Very good, we will discuss. Give Opposition one notice. One notice! No, you do not. The problem is, I started with numbers so I will finish with numbers. You think you are 56 inch — I am not referring to any individual — but this morning, you were reminded, you are not 56 inch. You are 26 percent. If you have not understood the tariff, then understand it now. My Prime Minister, your Prime Minister, our Prime Minister, is in Bangkok and I wish him well and he has gone on official work. Good, Sir. My request, on behalf of my Party and us here and maybe the people of Manipur, is a very simple ten words’ text message to him and nothing more. It is ten words’ text message. Please text the hon. Prime Minister tonight and I quote. This is not from any holy book. I will tell you who wrote it, but these are beautiful ten words and I want to leave with this message. ‘When you hurt people, they begin to love you less.’ This is by Arundhati Roy, of her beautiful book, ‘The God of Small Things’. Thank you, Sir. (

LS MP Sayani Ghosh’s speech on imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur on 13th Feb, 2025

अध्यक्ष महोदय, िन्यि द, आपनेमझुेबोलनेक मौक वदय है। आज सदन मेंबहुत शेरबोलेज रहेथे, तो मैंभी एक शेर के स थ अपनीब त शरूु करन च हतीह ं। “तेर इंतज़ र करगेंेहम, च हेज़म नेलग ज ए,ं य तो तूआ ज ए, य हम ही विक नेलग ज ए।ं” सर, यह शेर मझुेअच्छेवदनों की य द वदल त है। उन वदनों की य द वदल त है, वजनक ि द थ , इस सरक र की नेकी क जो इर द थ । जो इर देिर्ा2014 मेंक िीबलुंद थे, लेवकन िर्ा 2024 केआते-आतेइनकी नीवतयों मेंकुछ थोड़े-बहुत घमंड थे। इस घमंड के चलतेपूिा मेंनोटबंदी और लॉकड उन जैसी घटन एं घटीं, वजनकी िजह से 700 सेअविक वकस नों की मौत हुई। वजसके चलतेमविपरुपर प्रेसीडेंट्स रूल तो ल गूवकय गय , लेवकन बस यही बोलन थ वक 22 महीनेलग गए और कई लोगों की ज नेंचली गई।ं सर, मैंनेपहलेभी यह चच ाकी थी that President’s Rule was the only solution, and why it was not imposed months ago when people were dying. जब हज रों की त द द मेंलोग बेघर हो रहेथे, च रों तरि आग जल रही थी, जब मवहल ओंको वनिस्त्र करकेर स्ते पर घसीट ज रह थ , जब वसिा भ रत ही नहीं, बवल्क पूर विश्व मविपरु की चच ाऔर वनंद , दोनों कर रह थ , तब आप कह ं थे? Sir, this delay in imposing the President’s Rule proves that the BJP leadership neither had the will nor the competence to handle the Manipur crisis, and the administration watched quietly as ethnic tensions spiralled out of control. सर, मैंज्य द वडटेल मेंनहीं ज ऊंगी, क्योंवक हमनेपहलेभी चच ाकीहै। आज लगभग सबुह 2:15 बजेहम मविपरु पर आलोचन कर रहेहैं। इतनी इम्पॉटेंस अगर पहलेदी होती, तो श यद इसकी नौबत ही नहीं आती। This is what I think. सर, यह शवमिंदगी की ब त हैवक आज भ रत के एक र ज्य मेंप्रेसीडेंट्स रूल है, यह भी शवमिंदगी की ब त हैवक 140 करोड़ की आब दी में80 करोड़ लोगों को मफ्ुत मेंर शन वदय ज त है। आज ल खों नौजि न ह, ैंजोबेक रबैिेहैं। एक-दोपरसेंट ऐसेलोगहैं, जो वसिा टैक्स-पेयबल की क्र इटेररय मेंआतेहैंऔर बीजेपी है, जो ‘सब चंग सी’ क कुत ा-प यज म पहनकर घूमती रहतीहै। यह वदख नेके वलए अच्छी ब त ह, ैलेवकन ग्र उंड ररएवलटी कुछ अलग ही है। सर, िर्ा2023 मेंटॉप10 िीपीएन की ररपोटाकेअनुस र में212 वदन सेऊपर इंटरनेट शट ड उन वकय गय थ , which comes to a total of 5,088 hours, marking it the second highest after Jammu & Kashmir. This led to huge economic loss in Manipur, approximately Rs. 3,157 crore. The economic blockade in Manipur affecting the two main National Highways lasted for 66 days with rough estimates of loss of around Rs. 250 crore per day, which is a whooping Rs. 17,000 crore in over two months. Over 67,000 people were forced to leave their homes and they cramped up in only 360 relief camps. Nearly 12,000 people fled to Mizoram and approximately 7,000 people sought refuge in Nagaland, Assam, and Meghalaya. Over 1,700 people have taken refuge in Cachar district as of June 2024. सर, येसब तो रवजस्टडाऑविवशयल विगसाहैं, न ज नेअनरवजस्टडा, अनऑविवशयल वकतनेबेघर लोग होंगे, जो दूसरों के घरों मेंरह रहेहैं, श यद दूसरेर ज्य मेंरह रहेहैं, दूसरेदेशों में रह रहेहैं। यह इसीवलए हुआ है, क्योंवक मविपरु की सरक र, डबल इंजन सरक र ने, उनकी मंश यह नहीं थी वक िह ाँकेलोगों को शरूु सेप्रोटेक्शन वदय ज ए, वक उनको शरूु सेररलीि वदय ज ए, अगर ऐस होत तो22 महीनों सेइन्होंनेमविपरु को जलनेन वदय होत । सर, मैंदो वमनट मेंअपनी ब त खत्म करूाँगी। They want to move the Resolution, of course, we have to be with them. लेवकन एक अप्रैल 2025 मतलब एक वदन पहले वमवनस्री ऑि होम अिेयसानेऑम्डािोसेज स्पेशल प िसाएक्ट को6 महीनेक एक्सटेंशन देकर मविपरु, अरुि चल प्रदेश और न ग लैंड मेंइिेवक्टि कर वदय है। इससेसमझ मेंआत हैवक law and order in Manipur has seriously deteriorated. आज भी बीजेपी ि लेबोल रहेथेवक 1960 सेहज रों ररफ्यूजीज मविपरु मेंघसु कर बैिेहैं। 2001 क सेंसस ररव्यूकरन हैऔर डीवलवमटेशन सेपहलेएनआरसी ल न है, मतलब आपको कुछ सिु रन नहीं हे, आपको बस और वबग ड़न है, वबग ड़न है। वजस तरह असम मेंएनआरसी के न म पर इस सरक र ने1500 करोड़ रुपयेसेऊपर िूाँक वदए और करीबन 19 ल ख लोगों क अवस्तत्ि संकट मेंड ल वदय , अब िही हरकत दोब र मविपरु के लोगों के स थ दोहर न च हतेहैं। महोदय, अंत में, मैंमविपरुके भ ई और बहनों की तरि सेबस इतन कहन च हती ह ाँवक “वजंदगी यूाँही गजु री ज रही है, जैसेकोई जंग ह री ज रही है, वजस जगह पहलेके जख्मों के वनश ंहैं, विर िहीं पर चोट म री ज रही है, विर िहीं पर चोट म री ज रही है।” इसवलए आपके म ध्यम सेइस सरक र सेमेरी यही अपेक्ष रहेगी वक मविपरु केह ल त में सिु र ल ए, ि त िरि मेंसतं लु न ल ए, पहलेअपनेदशे केलोगों को वमत्रबन ए, ं विर ज कर विश्वबन्िु कहल य ज ए। The Home Minister and the Prime Minister should work overtime and step outside their comfort zone to address the needs of the people and restore normalcy at the earliest in Manipur.

Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev’s speech on The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025

Sir, I thank my party for this opportunity and also to the Chair. The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025 is a consolidation of the laws that impact the passport, visas, foreigners, etc. But there is some confusion in the narrative of the Government, if I may say so. If it is a mere consolidation, then, they should not thump their chest about the paradigm shift that they claim they are bringing through this Bill. And, if they do feel it is a paradigm shift, कि यह देश धर्मशाला नहीं है, जो कहा जा रहा है, अगर आप उस पर विश्वास रखते कि आप बहुत बड़ा और ठोस कदम उठा रहे हैं, if it is a huge policy push, then, we have every reason, as Parliamentarians, to ask this Bill be sent for legislative scrutiny to Committee. Sir, let me start by saying that this Bill is repealing four Acts which are the areas of law! It is illegal migration, citizenship, deportation, detention camp, borders, de-voters, Aadhaar Card, all of which are Central subjects governed under various subordinate legislations under these four Acts. This was a Bill that should have gone to some committee for scrutiny, and to make it look like a consolidation exercise is a disservice to parliamentary democracy. I lodge a strong protest from All India Trinamool Congress here. सर, इनको जब भी मौका मिलता है, ये पश्चिमी बंगाल की बात करते हैं कि पश्चिमी बंगाल का बॉर्डर porous है, पश्चिमी बंगाल में जमीन नहीं मिलती। इस देश में अगर ऐसा कोई राज्य है, if there is any State in this country in which the issue of migration, the issue of citizenship, the issue of foreigners, the issue of pushback, the issue of international border is a burning issue, it is Assam. And, let me say that Assam is a State with
‘double-engine’ sarkar. It is a double-engine sarkar. This Government came to power in the Center in 2014. The way they have played politically, जिस तरह से राजनीतिकरण हुआ of immigration and of citizenship, Assam is a laboratory for their twisted ideology. Sir, on 31st July, when the final list of
NRC came up, the hon. Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah, over here, had told to this side of the House, the Opposition, कि आप लोगों को Assam Accord की आत्मा के बारे में नहीं मालूम। सर, अगर Assam Accord की धज्जियाँ किसी ने उड़ाई है, तो भारतीय जनता पार्टी ने उड़ाई है। सर, जो मार्च, 1971 की cut-off date थी, इन्होंने बदली, ये CAA लाए और हिन्दुओं को कहा कि हम आपको citizenship देंगे। सर, CAA आने के बाद आज तक barely 350 people have been given citizenship under the CAA…. When the entire nation was saying that
CAA is unconstitutional, it violates the Right to Equality. Sir, now, I come to NRC. NRC में जब पहला draft लिखा गया, at that point of time, 40 lakh people were outside the NRC and the hon. Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah, said, हमने 40 लाख घुसपैठियों को निकाला। When the final list came out, this number of 40 lakhs came down to 19 lakhs. That is the one single reason that after spending Rs.
1,800 crores of public funding, 6 साल बीत गए, NRC का कुछ पता ही नहीं है। Sir, the people ran from pillar to post, sold their house, sold their vehicles to show papers under NRC in Assam. Today, they do not
know whether they are citizens of this country or not. Till today, the Registrar General of India has not notified the NRC after spending Rs. 1,800 crores. And what have they done? ये आधार कार्ड की बात करते हैं। The NRC that has not been notified on that pretext, for more than two years, this
Government stopped the *Aadhaar* Cards of 26 lakh people in Assam. They could not get jobs and they could not apply for any of the Government benefits till the Supreme Court intervenes. Last, but not the least, आप illegal migration की बात करते हैं। मैं आज गृह मंत्री जी से पूछती हूँ, आप अपने जवाब में बताइएगा कि 1997 से असम में जो ‘D-voter’, ‘D-voter’ चल रहा है, तो यह ‘D-voter’ क्या है, यह बताइएगा। मैं यह भी कह दूँ कि in the Assembly, the Government of Assam has given a data that 1,19,570 people have been declared D-voters. 54,411 is the number of people that have been declared foreigners. आप तैयार रहिए, जो national integrity की बात करते हैं, जो internal security की बात करते हैं, only 26 have been deported since 2017. जब-जब आप लोग बंगाल का नाम लेते हैं, मैं   इनको याद दिला दूँ कि आप ममता बनर्जी जी की हिस्ट्री पढ़ कर आइए। क्या आप लोग जानते हैं कि 21 जुलाई, 1993, जिसे आज तक All India Trinamool Congress धरमतला में celebrate करती रही है, उसका क्या इतिहास है? वह पढ़ कर आइए। … ममता दीदी ने voter list के लिए क्या आंदोलन किया था, उसमें कितने लोग शहीद हुए थे, वह पढ़ने के बाद, हमारी नेता ममता दीदी के बारे में बोलिए।Sir, this Government has not just This Government has not just * the Bengali Hindus of Assam, this Government has * the indigenous people of Assamthe Assamese Hindus of Assam.. Sir, I just need one more minute, And I challenge the Home Minister कि आप NRC notify करिए और फिर उसके बाद पार्लियामेंट में हमें भाषण दीजिए। Sir, they have consistently used the issue of citizenship. They have consistently used the issue of NRC. They have consistently used the issue of immigration, time and
again, for polarisation and dividing the society… झारखंड की जनता ने आप लोगों को इसका मुंहतोड़ जवाब दिया। आप ‘घुसपैठिए’, ‘घुसपैठिए’ बोलते रहे और वहाँ मुँह की खा कर आए। Do not divide the society. Do not polarise the society.… We all love our country and we all want our borders to be safe, but do not polarise the nation. Thank you, Sir.

Lok Sabha MP Abu Taher Khan’s speech on The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, as Reported by Joint Committee and The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024

Thank you, Chairperson sir. Today, I am speaking in this August house on behalf of the All India Trinamool Congress, opposing the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025. Hon’ble Nishikant Dubey has spoken a lot. He articulated remarkably grand pronouncements today. He should have at least considered that just as the railways own most land in India today, the minority community is donating land in the name of Allah. Muslim brothers are donating their own land for good purposes and for the development of the minority community. On one hand, graveyards and khankahs; on the one hand, mosques and madrasas are being built for the upliftment of the poor people – the brothers of the Muslim minority community donate this Waqf property for this noble cause. And when they donate, many people raise questions about whether they have legal rights. Waqf board has a CEO-ranked person- he is the chief executive officer. He is an SGO-ranked officer. He investigates and checks, then hearings are held, and then these are recorded. Yet, it is being repeatedly said here that there is no clarity on how these properties are being registered, and in what manner they are being registered. It is equally unfortunate and shocking that the party, which is claiming to care a lot about Muslims and is shedding crocodile tears for them, has no Muslim representation among their Lok Sabha and Assembly members. They don’t have the will to make a minority representative contest the elections. Their ideology is to divide the country in the name of religion. They want to create division between Hindus and Muslims. To get their benefit, they have brought this Waqf Amendment Act into India and are creating conflict between one community and another. This is very unfortunate and abominable for us. I would like to humbly appeal that since this donation is for the development of the Muslim community, people of other communities shouldn’t be part of the board. What about the divine properties of various Hindu communities today? How many people of any Muslim community have been made members of that trust? Where is their representation? Were they given those opportunities? We want to know where is that opportunity being given? Nowhere. Only the Muslim community is being attacked repeatedly in various ways, is being tortured, and is being treated unfairly. We cannot support the BJP party’s agenda of crushing the hopes of the minority community throughout India by hook or by crook. I want to state one thing very clearly, we are totally opposed to this bill. Once the Bharatiya Janata Party brought a bill for the benefit of the farmers. There was a mass movement for a year, then they were forced to withdraw from that bill. Here I am proclaiming today that no matter how hard they try, they will definitely have to withdraw from this bill even after it is passed. We will not accept it in any way, and we are not going to accept it today. We will protest against it wholeheartedly.

Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee’s speech on The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, as Reported by Joint Committee and The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024

On behalf of All India Trinamool Congress, under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, I strongly oppose the Bill in its entirety. Madam, the spirit of my speech is: “तूकहांदूबनेगा न मसु लमान बनेगा इांसान की औलाद है, इांसान बनेगा।” This present Bill covers importantly two areas of waqf. One, manage religious affairs of the Waqf Board. One of the arenas is to manage, control, and supervision of the religious aspects of the Muslims. Two, providing power to the State Government to decide the disputes in respect of the waqf property, including land and building. Article 26 of the Constitution of India provides that subject to public order, morality, and health, every religious denomination or any section thereof shall have the right: (a) to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes; (b) to manage its own affairs in matters of religion; (c) to own and acquire movable and immovable property; (d) to administer such property in accordance with the law. Madam, the waqf is an institution for religious and charitable purposes. The Muslims have the constitutional right to manage their own affairs in matters of religion because the waqf property belongs to Allah. They also have the right to administer such property. The purpose of the Bill is a clear breach of the right of Muslims to perform their religious duties and manage their religious affairs, and therefore it is completely in violation of Article 26 of the Constitution of India. The Bill hitsthe basic structure of the Constitution. Under Article 246, subarticle 1, the Parliament has exclusive power to legislate a law under Schedule VIIof List 1. Under Article 246, sub-article 3, the State Legislature has the power to legislate the law, which is an exclusive power. This means that land comes under List 2, under Entry 18 of the State List. Lands and buildings vested in or in the possession of the State come under Entry 35 of List 2 of the State List. In the proposed Waqf Bill, the Parliament has no power to legislate any law in respect of theland and buildings vested in the possession of the State in respect of the waqfproperty because the State only has the power to legislate such laws. Therefore, the Parliament is now encroaching upon the power of the States to legislate in deciding the question of the land and buildings of the waqf. Thus, it is completely unconstitutional and dehors Article 246, sub-article 3 of the Constitution of India. This also hits the basic structure of the Constitution. By exercising any power under List 1 or List 3, the power of Statesto legislateunder List 2 cannot be encroached upon. There is a difference between a waqf recognized by Muslim law and religious endowment and a waqf recognized by Hindu law on one hand and a public charitable trust as contemplated by English Law on the other. The question has been considered by the Privy Council in Vidya Varuthi Thirtha vs. Balusami Ayyar long ago. Mr. Amir Ali, who delivered the judgment of the Board, observed: “It is to be remembered that a trust in the sense in which the expression is used in English law is unknown in the Hindu system…” “… When the gift is directly to an idol or a temple, the seisin to complete the gift is necessarily effected by human agency. Called by whatever name, he is only the manager and custodian of the idol or the institution… In no case was the property conveyed to or vested in him …”. Similarly, thereis a basic difference. The hon. Minister was speaking about the Hindu trust. The Muslim law relating to trust differs fundamentally from the English law. Hindu trust follows English law. Muslim law does not follow English law. This is the basic difference. Mr. Ameer Ali said: “The Mohammedan law owes its origin to a rule laid down by the Prophet of Islam; and means the tying up of property in the ownership of God the Almighty and the devotion of the profits for the benefit of human beings … As the result of the creation of a wakf, the right of the wakif is extinguished and the ownership is transferred to the Almighty”. It is religious. If it is religious, it comes within the ambit and scope of Article 26 of the Constitution. It further states: “The manager of the wakf is the mutawalli, the governor, superintendent, or curator”. But in that capacity, he has no right in the property belonging to the wakf. The property is not vested in him and he is not a trustee in the legal sense. Therefore, there is no doubt that the waqf, to which the Act applies, is in essential features, different from the trust, as is known, to English law. In Shayara Banoversus Union of India, 2017, Volume 9, SCC page 1, the Constitution Bench held that any legal provision should be made with the application of known principles of law. If any decision is taken without supporting principles of rule of law, it becomes unpredictable and such a decision is antithesis of a decision taken in accordance with the rule of law. This proposed Bill is just contrary to the well-settledprinciples of law, which is established in the country. Judgments have been pronounced not only by the Privy Council, but by the Supreme Court of India also. Madam, the various provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 is manifestly arbitrary and therefore cannot be passed by the Parliament itself. The waqf system in Islamic tradition stands as a testament to the enduring values of charity, community welfare, spiritual dedication rooted in the principle of Sadaqah Jariyah. Wakf properties in India form the backbone of the Muslim community’s social, cultural and religious life — playing a pivotal role in maintaining their collective identity. These endowments sustain mosques, madarasas and cemeteries while providing essential resources to marginalized sections of society, especially in environment where minority communities often struggle for equitable access to public purposes. This is not there, namely equality and equitable access, in the case of the Muslim. This is the reason we are opposing it. Over the years, excessive Government oversight has raised concerns about the erosion of autonomy and sanctity of waqf, which under Islamic law, is intended to function independently to serve its religious and charitable purposes. At the heart of the waqf system’s administration lies the State Waqf Board that acts as custodian of waqf properties, ensuring their proper management and alignment with the purposes defined by Islamic law. These boards have consistently worked to protect waqfproperties from mismanagement. Madam, the Waqf Act was centrally first introduced in 1953. Mr. Rijiju, the hon. Minister has also said this. Thereafter, so many Acts came including the 1995 Act, Amendment of 2013, and now this is coming. Now, by introducing clause 2, the title of the Act has been amended to Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development. There is no rational basis to make such amendment to the title of the Act. Every Act is intended to make the Act more efficient for development purpose. For example, the Companies Act was enacted in 1956, thereafter reenacted in 2013. The Act was brought to regulate the management, empowerment, efficiency, and development of the control of the companies. The Waqf Act, 1995, had various provisions for management, empowerment, efficiency, and development. Therefore, the proposed amendment to the title is absolutely unwarranted. The title, which has been used for nearly 75 years, has no necessity to be amended unless the Government wants to have the satisfaction that something new has been done. The proposed amendment to the Waqf Act, which includes a tacit attempt to alter or dilute the historical and religious significance of the term ‘Waqf’, is deeply concerning and warrants strong objection. The term ‘Waqf’ is not merely legal or administrative. It is a sacred concept deeply rooted in Islamic tradition and jurisprudence. Why are you taking this away? The historical development of Waqf legislation in India is: the Bengal Waqf Act, 1934; the Uttar Pradesh Muslim Waqf Act, 1960; the Waqf Act, 1954; and the subsequent unification under the Waqf Act of 1995. They have always retained the sanctity of the term. These laws, while designed to provide statutory governance, have consistently respected the essence of Waqf as a concept grounded in the Islamic law. Madam, the insertion of clause 2(a) tantamountsto nullifying all the earlier judgments, decrees, and orders of any court in respect of the Waqf and the Trust. This attempt is basically taking away the rights of the Muslims that they have accrued. Any attempt to nullify the Supreme Court judgment by legislative process is illegal and unconstitutional. Clause 3(IX) of the proposed Bill states that various sects and sub-sects have been created. This attempt to create subsects without having any rational object is not a good sign for any religion, caste, or creed. If the Constitutional provisions empower Parliament to create caste, sub-caste, or sub-class, only Parliament can do so like the Scheduled Castes were created in Hindus. But the Constitutional provision does not empower Parliament. Under the guise of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, they are creating Aga Khani Waqf, Bohra Waqf, etc. The intention to legislate such a classification of Waqf Board based on sub-sects shows that the Ruling Party has evil intentions. If the title speaks about unification, the creation of various Waqf Boards on the basis of sub-sects itself creates a de-unification between the sects and sub-sects of the Muslims. Madam, Clause 3F(a) of the proposed Bill defines Government organizations, including municipalities, panchayats, and autonomous bodies of the Central Government under Part 9A of the Constitution. Under the scheme of Part 9A, the municipalities and the panchayats are self-government and autonomous bodies. How can the properties of the self-government bodies be treated as Government properties? In a Constitutional provision, it does not make sense. By this law, the panchayat and municipality have been described as Government properties. It is not a Government property; they are local selfgovernment bodies. There is a distinction. Therefore, this provision is bad. Madam, the introduction of the definition of Government property seems to be mischievous. Why will Waqf be allowed to define Government property? This is an attempt to legalize illegal occupation or occupation of the Waqf property by Government organizations. There is another sin here. In the JPC, we said repeatedly, give us the data where the Government has occupied the Waqf property. Nothing is there. And in Rajasthan, there are extreme cases; 80 per cent of the Rajasthan Waqf propertieshave been occupied by the Rajasthan Government itself. Practising Islam for at least five years as a precondition for making Waqf is thoroughly unreasonable, irrational, and manifestly arbitrary. Under the scheme of the Constitution of India, no person can be compelled to practice his own religion. If no person can be compelled to practice his own religion, then such person cannot be debarred from either offering his property to God or from being a Hindu or a Muslim or from any other religion. Practising religion means day-to-day performance of his religious duty. In a secular democratic country like ours, no one can compel anybody to perform any religious duty. If such a provision cannot be made either in the Constitution or in any other statute, no mandatory provision can be made for practising Islam for at least five years for making waqf. Even if I discharge my religious duty on my own at any place, I cannot be compelled to say whether I am performing religious duty or not performing the same. How can anyone ask me whether I am performing religious duty or non-religious duty? Is it not a violation of the Constitution. What power has the Constitution given you to ask me whether I am discharging religious duty or not. A man can believe in performance of religious duty at any point of time of his life, even before death. Performing a religious duty cannot be the basis of belonging to that religion. Even in a Hindu Mandir, which is governed by an Act, like Puri Jagannath Temple or Kashi Vishwanath Temple, there is no such provision that a person has to practice Hindu religion for at least five years and then only he can donate anything to the deity. Madam, I cannot donate. If I want to donate, it is my choice. How can my choice be controlled? I donate everywhere. I donate in Hindu Mandir. I donate in Muslim property. I donate in the Christian property. I donate in the Buddhist property. I donate to vagrants. I donate everywhere. How can you control this act? By reason of insertion of this clause, no other person of a religion can make over any property to waqf. The proposed amendment is thoroughly misconceived, arbitrary and irrational, and therefore, violates Article 14 of the Constitution of India. In this Bill, Clause 3(ix) omits the existing Clause 3R(i). That means waqf by user is being taken away. Waqf by user is a long-standing practice of Muslims. In our country, waqf by user has been a very common practice decades after decades, rather from time immemorial. Waqf by user is a practice. The concept of waqf by user was recognized in our country in the case of Court of Wards for the property of Makhdum Hassan Bakhsh vs. Ilahi Bakhsh & ors., 1912, HCC online, page 45. Madam, the hon. Supreme Court in the matter of Syed Mohd. Salie Labbai (Dead) by L.Rs. and others vs. Mohd. Hanifa (Dead) by L.Rs. and others,1976, in paragraph 34, 36 and paragraph 39, categorically accepted this waqf by user. There is a necessity in case of prayers offered in congregation. A single Muslim can also offer his prayers with or without an imam, but the prayer is in a congregation of a Jamaat or offered only behind an Imam who leads the prayers. And Islam is an extremely modern and liberal religion. There is no question of any person being denied admission in a Mosque for the purpose of offering prayers. And that is why the law is so strict that the moment a person is allowed to offer his prayers in a Mosque, the Mosque becomes dedicated to the public, and therefore it’s a waqf property. Finally, it is not necessary for the dedication of public mosque. Madam, in that judgment, it has been said that when a person erects a building with the object of dedicating it as a mosque and permits people to offer prayers therein without declaring thathe has constituted it into a mosque and prayers are offered and they build Jamaat, the mosque becomes irrevocably dedicated. Madam, I will just give one instance. In the Raisina village, where the residence of the President of India is there, there was a big village long back. In the big village, there are so many Muslims. One Hindu dedicated his property for offering their namaz, and that property is the mosque in front of Parliament. Who has not gone there? Shri Abdul Kalam had gone there. All important political leaders, including Bhutto and the Imam, who is sitting here as one of our colleagues, a Member of Parliament, have also gone there. If prayers are offered once in a mosque, it is sufficient to constitute a good dedication. Dedication has been clearly said. Paragraph 39 of the judgement reads. “The founder must declare his intention to dedicate a property for the purpose of mosque. No particular form of declaration is necessary. The declaration can be presumed from the conduct of the founder, either expressed or implied.” If this is the principle of law, long-standing in our country, how can you say today, “You have to register waqfby user. You have to give a declaration”?’ I do not need to do that. Therefore, through this Bill, you are trying to take away the basic reason of all the judgements of the Supreme Court. This is not correct and this is bad. Madam, Shri B.K. Mukherjea said, ‘Neither a document nor explicit expressed words are essential for dedicating property to religious or public purposes; such dedication can be implied from the permitted use of property for sufficient period of time. The conduct of those properties is presumed to indicate dedication.’ It has been said by Shri B.K. Mukherjea on Hindu law of religious and charitable trusts. I do not think that there is anyone in India who understands Hindu law better than Shri B.K. Mukherjea. There is no one. He has said so in his book. Anyway, new concepts andsmart men have come like a smart phone. Therefore, everything is being done. In the case of M. Siddiq through Lrs Mahant Suresh Das, 2021 SCC 1, `wakqby user’has been expressly mentioned. Our jurisprudence recognizes the principles of `Waqf by user’ even absent and express deed of dedication. This is being taken away. It is a long judgment, I will not read it. Therefore, it hits the basic things. Please refer to Clause 3, sub clause 5 of the proposed Bill. The right of verbal declaration of waqf has been taken away. This is contrary to the history of creating waqf by any individual. Several properties are dedicated waqf by a good number of persons to be made as waqf property. Madam, there is deletion of the word `either verbally or in writing’. The right of the Muslim is protected under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution. Therefore, it hits the basic structure of the Constitution. Now, I refer to the case of Commissioner of Police Vs. Acharya Jagadishwarananda Avadhuta (2004) 12 SSC 770. It pertains to our State. When CP(I)M was in power, they killed Ananda Margis. In that case, this judgment has come. The protection guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution is not confined to matters of doctrine of belief, but extends to acts done in purpose of religion, and therefore contains a guarantee for rituals, observances, ceremonies, and modes of worship which are essential or integral part of religion. What is waqf then? It is an integral part of religion. Essential part of religion means the core beliefs upon which a religion is founded. The core belief of the Muslim is that Allah is there, I have dedicated my property to Allah, therefore it is a waqf property. It is upon the quintessential power that the superstructure of a religion is built without which religion will be no religion. Nobody can say that essential part or practice of one’s religion has changed from a particular date or by an event. The proposed amendment clause proceeds with the assumption that waqf properties are riddled with the issues of mismanagement. It appears that the primary basis of this assumptionis the quantum of pending litigation surrounding waqf. If this is the basis of identifying a body as mismanaged in terms of the pending litigation, it cannot be a rational basis of determining the standard of management of a body. In fact, the hon. High Court of Delhi in one of the cases against Union of India has given the details of the pending cases. If pending cases are the ground for bringing the legislation, now I tell you the statistics. The number of pending civil cases in the Supreme Court is 64,687. The number of pending criminal cases in the Supreme Court is 18,235. The total number of pending cases is 82,922. In waqf, all over India, 14,000 to 15,000 cases are pending. It cannot be said to be the basis. In Clause 4, there is insertion of section 3B which mandates that every waqf, prior to the commencement of this Act, shall file the details of the waqf and the property dedicated to the waqf. I have already dealt with that. The Waqf Board under this statute has declared a property to be waqf. In that case, the Government has challenged the same before the appropriate court of law. Madam, this is very important, I have missed it. According to the Minister, the State Government officer above the District Magistrate will decide the issue. How it can be so? How can the State be a judge of its own cause? The State will decide: “This is my property, and it will be binding.” The problem is this. The moment it will be claimed, it will not be treated as a waqf property. The title of the land can be decided only by the civil court, not by anybody else. The power which has been given to decide the title of this land whether it is a Government land or not, that is covered by the State List under Entry 35 of List II in the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The Parliament has no power to legislate law in respect of that. If the Waqf Board under the main statute has declared a property to be waqf, and in case the Government has challenged the same before the appropriate court of law, by amending this law, it cannot be done. A person cannot be a judge of his own cause. It has to go to a civil court. It is a well-known principle. Everyone knows about it. If there is a dispute regarding a civil law, who will decide? It will be decided by a civil court. The proviso itself indicates the predetermined mind of the Government. The Waqf Board itself is a statutory body. According to Section 3C (4), if there is any wrong writing in the records of the Waqf Board, that can be challenged by the Government in accordance with law. The Government cannot direct the Waqf Board to make the correction. This itself is hit by the doctrine of dictation. The hon. Supreme Court time and again reiterated that revenue records are not documents of title and they do not vest the right of ownership as the property to the individuals named in the land records. So many references are there. These are elementary things. Any law student also knows about this bunch of laws. Unfortunately, this has not been taken care of by the Central Government. In Clause 5 (e), the proposed amendment amounts to creating sub-classes amongst the Muslims for the purpose of giving birth to disputes. Coming to Clause 9 of the proposed Bill, proviso to Clause 9 is totally unacceptable as it provides that two Members appointed under this sub-section shall be non-Muslim. The exclusion of Muslim community persons from holding the post of two Members in the Waqf Board is hit by Article 14 of the Constitution of India which provides equal opportunity to everyone. In the case of Hindu temples, the non-inclusion of Hindus cannot be imagined. We cannot imagine it. For example, under Section 6(2) of the Uttar Pradesh Sri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Act, it has been specifically mentioned that there are three eminent Hindu scholars well-versed in Hindu theology. A line has been said, a point has been taken to see. This is the State law. But it is a Central law. A law is a law. Law means it is within the ambit of Article 246 of the Constitution of India. Law does not mean beyond Article 246. If a law is within the ambit of Article 246 of the Constitution of India, there cannot be discrimination between a State law and a Central law. An unthinkable stand has been taken. I cannot think about this. After 44 long years of practice, I cannot say, I cannot think that no, it is a State law; it cannot be compared with a Central law. What is this? A law is a law. Law is having its own force. Read Article 13 of the Constitution of India also. What is law? Clause 11 of the proposed Bill is seeking amendment of Section 14. The amendment of the original Act suffers from same illegalities. Clause 14 of the proposed Bill whereby Section 20A of the original Act, that is removal of the Chairperson by vote of No-Confidence, has been deleted. Such deletion is also improper and illegal. It is because if the Chairperson does not enjoy the confidence of other Members, how can he sit there? It is a question of democracy. Madam, can you sit there if you do not enjoy the majority and the confidence. If you cannot enjoy the confidence of the majority, you have to leave. That is the democratic setup in our country. Madam, amendment of Section 36 sub-section (iii) is effectively taking away the power of the Waqf Board regarding receiving of registration of waqf, and such an amendment has been envisaged to empower the Central Government in an indirect manner to control everything. All powers have been taken away. Why are you not making it? The Minister of Minority Affairs will decide everything. He will be the supreme person and nothing is required. It is finished. You can do it. Clause 20 of the Bill is amending Section 40 of the original Act. If Section 40 is deleted, the Waqf Board itself will be a toothless doll. If Section 40 is amended and Section 40 is taken away, the Waqf Board will be a toothless doll only. If Section 40 is deleted, then there is no necessity to keep the Waqf Board itself. Do not keep it. Keep the power with the Minister in the Central Government. The Minister will decide. What is the necessity of a Waqf Board? Everything will be done by him. Clause 20 is taking away the power to regulate a statutory body like Waqf Board. Madam, I will take some time. I am reading very fast. I am going very fast. The proposed Amendment Bill under Clause 21 seeking amendment of Section 46 of the original Act once again empowers the Central Government to make regulations with respect to so and so. Therefore, the power of the State Governments has been taken away. Does it not violate the federal structure of this country? Every power of the State Governments has been taken away. Only the Centre will do it. Does it not violate the fundamental character of the Constitution? Clause 22 of the Bill is seeking amendment of Section 47 of the Act. The proposed amendment empowers the Central Government to call for the audit of any waqf by the C&AG. How can the C&AG make an audit? The C&AG can make an audit in the case of the Consolidated Fund under the Constitution. How can the C&AG make an audit beyond the Consolidated Fund? This is absolutely illegal and improper. Madam, as regards Section 50, under the existing provision of the Waqf Board, mutawalli is there. Then, comes Section 83. By the proposed amendment, the number of members of the Tribunal has been reduced to two, and it removes one person having knowledge of Muslim law. This has been done and has been amended. Now, the order of the Tribunal goes to High Court under appeal. Now, it is a statutory appeal. There is no provision for condonation of delay, if there is any delay. It is a direct and statutory appeal. You have not given any power to grant any interim relief to the persons. How can it be an adequate remedy? Earlier, it was there. One could have gone, as per Article 226 of the Constitution, for a judicial review. The High Court is having the power to condone delay and also to pass an interim order. You have also taken away this power. Therefore, this provision is not an adequate remedy so far as the waqf property is concerned. The High Courts have not been given any power. Madam, now, I come to Sections 107 and 108. I am going very fast. I am not taking even water. The proposed amendment has an effect on the decision to replace the Survey Commissioner. Then, in Clause 41 of the proposed amendment, Section 107 of the Act is deleted, and thereby applicability of the Limitation Act is dehors. How will the Limitation Act be applied? If the Limitation Act will apply, so many disputes will come. This is the intention of the Government. It is open. सब ओपन, सब खलुा हैअभी, अभी खलु गया हैरास्ता, इंडिया में ताला लगा दो, डहन्दू-मडुस्लम, डहन्द-ूमडुस्लम लगा दो, यही तो उन लोगोंइंटेंशन है।इससेक्याहोगा? This is not correct. This is completely bad. The proposed Waqf Bill proposes significant things. In Hemaji Vs. Bhikabhai, the Supreme Court has criticised the concept of adverse possession as unjust, and it was urging reforms to protect rightful property. Therefore, this is a clear attempt on the part of the Government to curtail the rights of the Muslims in our country. यह ठीक नहीं है। “डहन्दूया मडुस्लम के अहसासात को मत छेडिए, अपनी कुरसी के डलए जज्बात को मत छेडिए, छेडिए एक जंग, डमल-जलु कर गरीबी के डखलाफ, दोस्त मेर, े मज़हबी नग़मात को मत छेडिए।” “हम अपनी जान के दश्ुमन को अपनी जान कहतेहैं, मोहब्बत की इसी डमट्टी को डहन्दस्ुतान कहतेहैं।” “अ‍ब तो मज़हब कोई ऐसा भी चलाया जाए, डजसमेंइंसान को इंसान बनाया जाए।” Madam, thanks.

Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale’s Point of Order under Rule 29 on the urgent need for adequate time for discussion to be allocated on the Manipur issue and the duplication of EPIC voter identity cards, and not just concentrate on The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, considering the short time left before the Budget Session concludes on April 4

Sir, it is under Rule 29 which relates to List of Business. Sir, the List of Business has been circulated. We
have two days of the Session left. The BAC has allocated three hours for the Statutory Resolution on the Proclamation of President’s Rule in Manipur and eight hours for the Waqf Bill. Sir, we do not know from the List of Business when the Manipur issue is going to be taken up. It is a very sensitive issue. This is number one. Give me just 30 seconds, Sir. Secondly, Sir, we have also been assured.. Sir, give me 10 seconds to finish my point of order. Let me say this so that you can give your ruling. I will take 10 more seconds, Sir. Also, we have been assured by the Government about a Short Duration Discussion on the duplicate EPI Card matter. We only have two days left in the Session, Sir. We would like to be enlightened on when it will be taken up.

Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev’s Zero Hour mention on the concern over the delay in disbursement of pensionary benefits to government employees, and demanding the government remove the alleged discrimination that the amended Civil Service Pension Rules allows it to make by classifying the amounts retirees will get based on their date of retirement

Thank you, Sir, for having given me the opportunity. Sir, pensioners have served the country with dedication and denying them fair and timely pensions is unjustified. The Supreme Court has repeatedly stated that the right to receive pension is equivalent to right to property under the Constitution. I quote: “Pension is neither a bounty nor a matter of grace.” It is a social welfare measure rendering socio-economic justice to those who in the heydays of their life ceaselessly toiled for the employer on an assurance that in their old age they would not be left in the lurch. Sir, the recent amendments to the Central Civil Service (Pension) Rules have given rise to some concern and I demand that the Government relooks at it. Sir, the concern is spreading fast among the State Government employees as well as the Central Government employees. The changes suggest that pensioners who retire before January 2026 may be deprived of the benefit of the Eighth Pay Commission creating an unfair distinction between retirees. This is unjust, Sir. The Employees’ Associations and Unions have strongly criticized this. According to the changes to the Civil Service (Pension) Rules, the Government has given itself a power to classify pensioners at its discretion. Such arbitrary policy-making violates the principles of fairness and transparency. Sir, as a good example, I look at the Seventh Pay Commission implemented in 2016, which ensured that pensioners, whether retired before or after 2016, received equal pensions. The principle of no discrimination between old and new pensioners has been repeatedly upheld by the Supreme Court. The Government is now attempting to reverse this. Sir, according to Government data, by 1st March 2025, nearly 36.57 lakh Government employees and 33.91 lakh pensioners will be affected by these changes. The Central Government employees and pensioners are expecting a salary and a pension hike under the Eighth Pay Commission, which is also likely to be delayed. Reports suggest that the Government has also given itself the power to decide when to implement the Pay Commission’s recommendation and who should qualify for pension benefits, leaving lakhs of pensioners in a state of uncertainty. These pensioners have served the country with dedication and denying or delaying their fair pension is unjustified. Therefore, I urge the Government to ensure that all pensioners, no matter when they retire, receive their rightful benefits and enjoy parity under the Pay Commission. Thank you, Sir.