Joint committee on Waqf bill meets; hears views of Muslim bodies

Parliament’s joint committee reviews Waqf Amendment Bill

The joint committee of Parliament met here for the second time on Friday to hear the views of Muslim bodies on the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill which seeks to reform the registration process for Waqf properties through a centralised portal.

During the day-long meeting, the panel headed by BJP’s Jagdambika Pal will hear the views of stakeholders, including the All India Sunni Jamiyatul Ulama, Mumbai, and Delhi-based Indian Muslims for Civil Rights (IMCR).

The Bill is the first major initiative of the BJP-led NDA government aimed at reforming the registration process for Waqf properties. Besides this, establishing a Central Waqf Council alongside state Waqf Boards with representation to Muslim women and non-Muslim representatives are also among the proposed reforms.

A contentious provision of the Bill is the proposal to designate the district collector as the primary authority in determining whether a property is classified as Waqf or government land.

The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 8 and referred to a joint committee of Parliament after a heated debate with the government asserting the proposed law did not intend to interfere with the functioning of mosques and the opposition calling it a targeting of Muslims and an attack on the Constitution.

In its marathon first meeting earlier this month, opposition MPs flagged objections over a host of provisions as the Union minority affairs ministry made a presentation in the proposed law.

Sources said BJP members in the meeting lauded the proposed amendments, including the provisions which seek to empower women.