Waqf Bill Cleared By Joint Parliamentary Committee, 14 Amendments Proposed By NDA Accepted

Waqf Bill Cleared By Joint Parliamentary Committee, 14 Amendments Proposed By NDA Accepted

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The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, introduced to regulate Waqf properties, was referred to the JPC on August 8 following its introduction in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) members scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. (PTI)

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. “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.

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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.

BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi also defended Pal, saying the meeting was held in a democratic manner and the JPC chairman tried to hear everybody out and gave sufficient time for everybody to move the amendment that everybody wished to.

Some objections of the Opposition in unanimity 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). The leaders have questioned 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.

Tensions were running high as 10 opposition MPs were suspended for a day on Friday after they accused Pal of bias and created a ruckus. These include Kalyan Banerjee, Congress’ Nasir Hussain and Mohd Jawed, DMK’s A Raja and AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi.

This Bill has been in the works for the last few years, with the government having met various stakeholders, including members of the community, eminent jurists and lawyers. The new Act provides that the board no longer will be the sole authority to decide if a property is indeed Waqf property.

(with inputs from agencies)

News india Waqf Bill Cleared By Joint Parliamentary Committee, 14 Amendments Proposed By NDA Accepted

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