The Joint Parliamentary Committee scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill cleared the bill on Monday, adopting all amendments proposed by the ruling BJP-led NDA members and negating every change moved by opposition members.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was referred to the joint committee of Parliament on August 8 following its introduction 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 reporters, JPC 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 said the amendments moved by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies in 14 of the Bill’s clauses have been accepted. However, all amendments moved by opposition members in 44 clauses were defeated through a vote.
One of the more significant amendments proposed by the committee is that the existing Waqf properties cannot be questioned on the grounds of ‘Waqf by user’, which existed in the current law but will be omitted in the new version if the properties are being used for religious purposes.
Meanwhile, opposition MPs decried the proceedings and accused 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.
Pal rejected the charge, 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.
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