The Joint Parliamentary Panel set up to scrutinize the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, on Monday cleared the proposed legislation, accepting all amendments moved by the members of the National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and negating all changes moved by the Opposition members.
The Bill was referred to the JPC on August 8 after being introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. The Bill aims to amend the Waqf Act of 1995, to address issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties.
Speaking to the media on MJPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal said a meeting was held for a clause-by-clause review and opposition members had proposed amendments over 44 clauses. “The kind of amendments passed today… I believe a better bill will be prepared," he said.
Pal further said that the amendments moved by members of the NDA in 14 of the Bill’s clauses have been accepted while all amendments moved by opposition members in 44 clauses were defeated through a vote.
“After detailed discussions over the course of 6 months, we sought amendments from all members. This was our final meeting. So, 14 amendments have been accepted by the committee on the basis of a majority," Pal said.
The development comes just ahead of the Budget Session 2025 which is scheduled to be convened from January 31 to February 13, and March 10 to April 4, 2025.
Among the significant amendments proposed by the committee include the omission of a provision in the current law that exempts Waqf properties from being questioned on the grounds of ‘Waqf by user’. This provision will be omitted in the new version if the properties are being used for religious purposes, reports CNN-News18.
The JPC proceedings have been mired in controversy with several Opposition members terming them "farcical" and accusing JPC chairman Pal of "subverting" the democratic process. "It was a farcical exercise. We were not heard. Pal has acted in a dictatorial manner," Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee told reporters.
However, Pal dismissed the allegations and said the entire exercise was democratic, and the majority view prevailed. "I asked all members whether they are moving the amendments. They said they will be moving the amendments. There can’t be anything more democratic than this. They also approved of some amendments proposed by NDA," he said.
Among objections raised by the JPC members of the Opposition included the clause to amend the short title of the Act from the ‘Waqf Act, 1995’ to ‘Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995’ (UMEED) with the leaders questioning the government’s intent to rename the Bill which, according to them, was not required.
Both the ruling alliance and opposition members proposed more than 500 amendments to the 44 clauses of the bill. Opposition members have strongly opposed separate Waqf boards for specific sects like the Aga Khanis and Shias.
On Friday, 10 opposition MPs were suspended for a day after they accused Pal of bias and created a ruckus. Those suspended included Kalyan Banerjee, Congress’ Nasir Hussain and Mohd Jawed, DMK’s A Raja and AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi.
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