Enemy property bill: BJP won't back present form

Government's efforts to take Bharatiya Janata Party onboard on the controversial Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill did not bear fruit with the principal opposition making it clear it would support the legislation only if the ordinance on the issue was made into an act.

Home Minister P Chidambaram Friday met Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha to discuss the enemy property legislation but the latter is understood to have made it plain that BJP would not support it in its present form.

Chidambaram then made some changes in the draft of the Bill which was shown to the BJP leaders and they welcomed it but the right-wing party is still opposed to other contents of the proposed legislation.

"Our stand is that the intention of the government has changed from what it was when the Ordinance was brought and what is stated in the present draft of the bill," Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said.

BJP's contention is that the government brought the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Ordinance, 2010, to counter the Supreme Court judgment in favour of the erstwhile Raja of Mehmoodabad Suleiman Mian.

Its allegation is that the government, under pressure from some ministers and for minority appeasement, was making changes in the draft of the bill.

"This is perhaps for the first time that a meeting of some Muslim MPs was held in Parliament today, and in which the home minister and the parliamentary affairs ministers took part. This is a clear attempt to communalise a legislation," a senior BJP MP alleged.

Interestingly, BJP leaders like Najma Heptullah and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi are supporting the government on this issue.

The kin of the former Raja had won the possession of his ancestral properties, worth hundreds of crores, after a 32-year court battle in October 2005. Earlier this month, the Lucknow district administration formally took possession of six of his properties, as directed by the Custodian of Enemy Properties under the Union Home Ministry.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken moved the bill in the Lok Sabha and it is likely to be considered for discussion and passing on Monday.

BJP feels the "haste" being shown by the government in introducing the bill on Friday -- the party wanted it to be referred to a Standing Committee to address the differences- was to prevent the ordinance from lapsing as in such a scenario the present status quo would continue.

As soon as the ordinance came into force, it nullified the Supreme Court judgement and all the Enemy Properties were once again placed under the jurisdiction and control of the Custodian and -- through him -- the government.

The main opposition wants adequate compensation be paid to the tenants. There are an estimated 2,100 enemy properties in the country and of these around 1,400 belong to the erstwhile Raja of Mehmoodabad alone.

Chidambaram, BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Ram Jethmalani -- all eminent lawyers too- had represented some of the tenants of these enemy properties and lost.

Minority Affairs Minister Salman Kursheed, who is in the forefront in demanding changes in the draft of the bill, was the lawyer on behalf of the kin of the erstwhile Raja.

Kursheed and Jaitley even had a discussion on the bill a few days ago but failed to reach a consensus. Despite all the opposition from BJP, the bill is likely to get passed in the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha as the principal opposition is isolated in opposing this proposed legislation.