Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday termed as an “anti-minority legislation”a bill on enemy property introduced by the government in the Lok Sabha.
“This bill undermines the very foundation of our democracy. It is clearly an anti-minority bill,” he said during a debate on the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016 in the house.
Owaisi contended that did not reflect the stated agenda of the present government, which is “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas (inclusive development).
“Where is ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ now? Where is ‘India first’ in this bill? Who is the enemy when they were all Indians before,” he said.
However, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, while taking part in the debate, said that the bill should not be seen in the context of religion.
“It is not only for Pakistanis but also for the Chinese,” he said.
Explaining the context of the bill, which was first introduced in 1968, the home minister said: “In the wake of the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965 and 1971, there was migration of people from India to Pakistan. Under the Defence of India Rules, the Indian government took over the properties and companies of such persons who had taken Pakistani nationality.”