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Informist, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025

 

NEW DELHI – A Joint Parliamentary Committee on Monday cleared the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill and has suggested 14 amendments to the government. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which the government introduced in the Lok Sabha in August, aims to amend the law that governs properties donated by Muslims.

 

The government had said that the bill seeks to amend the Waqf Act for "effective management" of assets and administration of Waqf properties. The bill was referred to a 31-member committee for wider scrutiny after opposition parties objected to the bill.

 

Waqf is a charitable or religious donation made by Muslims for the benefit of the community. Properties belonging to the Waqf cannot be sold or used for any other purpose. The Waqf Act governs properties, which include mosques and madrassas.

 

Among the key amendments accepted by the committee is that Waqf properties will remain as Waqf properties except in cases where there is a dispute whether the property belongs to the Waqf or the government. The original bill had proposed that the government has the power to survey all Waqf properties.

 

Another key amendment accepted by the committee is to give a provision in the bill to allow a tribunal to extend the time for filing details on Waqf properties with the government beyond six months. The bill had proposed that details of Waqf properties will have to be given to the government within six months.

 

The 14 amendments, accepted by the committee, were moved by the members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies. The amendments were accepted after a majority of 16 members voted in support and 10 members from opposition parties opposed them. Committee Chairman and BJP leader Jagdambika Pal said that the amendments cleared by the committee will make the bill more effective.

 

"44 amendments were discussed. After detailed discussions over the course of six 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. The opposition also moved amendments. We put each and every one of those amendments to a vote, but there were 10 votes supporting them and 16 votes opposing it," Pal said.

 

According to a committee member, a draft has been prepared, and the committee will meet on Wednesday to adopt the draft with 14 amendments.

 

Meanwhile, the opposition parties raised objections over the conduct of the committee chairman. In a joint statement issued on Monday, the opposition parties stated that the opposition members were stopped from placing their views on the amendments and no discussion on clause by clause was permitted by the chairman, which was the essential element in the process. The statement also reads that the minutes of the sittings held in Delhi and other places were not supplied to members. Trinamool Congress member Kalyan Banerjee termed the entire process a mockery of democracy.

 

Opposition leaders have called the bill anti-Muslim, against cooperative federalism, and politically motivated. The Opposition also alleged that the bill violates the constitutional right to freedom of religion.  End

 

Reported by Kuldeep Singh

Edited by Saji George Titus

 

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