NEW DELHI: The report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) which examined the Waqf (Amendment) Bill will be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday. According to a bulletin issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, Committee Chairman Jagdambika Pal and member Sanjay Jaiswal will table the report in the House. The committee had already submitted the report to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday.
The Waqf Amendment Bill aims to overhaul the Waqf Act of 1995, which regulates the management of Waqf properties in India. The report, which was adopted by the committee on Wednesday, includes changes suggested by members of the ruling NDA. The record of evidence given before the Joint Committee on the Bill will also be tabled.
The Bill has generated significant controversy, with opposition parties arguing that it undermines the rights of the Muslim community and threatens the federal structure of India. The JPC on the Waqf Amendment Bill on Wednesday approved the draft of the Bill, incorporating 14 amendments proposed by members of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The JPC Chairperson had confirmed that the amendments were adopted through a majority vote, with 16 members supporting the changes and 10 opposing them. “A total of 44 amendments were discussed clause by clause. After six months of detailed discussions, we sought amendments from all members. This was our final meeting. 14 amendments have been accepted by the committee based on a majority vote. Opposition also proposed amendments, but these were defeated with 10 votes in support and 16 votes against,” Pal then told the reporters.
The Opposition has accused the ruling party of using the Bill to undermine the autonomy of Waqf boards and infringe on the constitutional rights of the Muslim community. Opposition MPs have also described the amendments as an attempt to control the management of Waqf properties and destroy the boards. Congress MP Pramod Tiwari criticised the government’s handling of the Bill, asserting that amendments by Opposition members were rejected.
“Even before the Waqf Bill is presented, there is uproar. Out of 44 proposed amendments, not a single one from the Opposition was accepted,” Tiwari said. “What was the point of forming the JPC if they refused to consider even one of our suggestions? They have rejected all Opposition amendments while accepting those of the ruling party,” he told IANS.
“It seems the government is determined to push through its agenda. Once the Bill is presented in the Lok Sabha, we will study it and respond accordingly,” he added.