India, March 23 -- As the government prepares to bring the bill to make sweeping changes to the Waqf laws, the Congress has dubbed the legislation as "an assault on the Constitution of India itself" and alleged that it attempts to "damage the centuries-old bonds of social harmony in our uniquely multi-religious society."

In a press statement, Congress' communications head Jairam Ramesh cited five reasons to claim that the legislation is deeply flawed.

Ramesh maintained that all the institutions created by previous laws to administer waqfs (national council, state boards and tribunals) are actively sought to be reduced in stature, composition and authority so as to deliberately deprive the community the right to administer its own religi...