New Delhi: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday accused the government of narrowing the scope of the rights of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and the Opposition would have to protect his rights, eliciting a sharp retort from Home Minister Amit Shah.

"Your rights and our rights are being curtailed. I had told you that you are the judge of democracy. I have heard that some of your rights are being snatched and we would have to fight for you," the Kannauj MP said during the debate on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha, reported NDTV.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah opposed Yadav's allegations, stating that the Speaker belonged to the whole house and not just the opposition.

"This is an insult to the Chair. The rights of the Speaker do not belong to the Opposition, but to the whole House. Don't speak in a roundabout way. You are not the protector of the Speaker's rights," Shah said, according to the report.

Later, Birla told Akhilesh Yadav that he and other members of the House must not remark on the Chair. "This is my expectation, no personal remarks should be made on the Chair," he said.

Yadav lashed out at the legislation, alleging that it was a well thought out political move. "When there is a democratic process for election, why nominate people? No person from outside the community is part of other religious bodies. What is the point of including non-Muslims in Waqf bodies?" he said.

He claimed that the BJP had brought this law to appease some hardline supporters after losing a substantial number of seats in the Lok Sabha election.

Opposition parties have united to challenge a new piece of legislation designed to tackle issues concerning the authority of State Waqf Boards, the registration and survey of Waqf properties, and the removal of encroachments.

The proposed legislation seeks to amend 44 sections of the 1995 Waqf Act. It suggests that both the Central Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards include two women members.

It also mandates that funds received by the Waqf Board be allocated for the welfare of widows, divorcees, and orphans as directed by the government.

Another significant proposal is the protection of women's inheritance rights. The bill also introduces the controversial idea of including non-Muslim members in Waqf bodies.