The Parliamentary committee scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill adopted its draft report and the amended version of the proposed law with a majority vote on Wednesday.
Chairman of the joint parliamentary committee, Jagdambika Pal told mediapersons that Opposition lawmakers have time till 4pm to submit their dissent.
While the committee accepted all the amendments moved by the BJP and NDA lawmakers, it turned down all the amendments moved by the opposition lawmakers.
On Tuesday, a draft bill of over 600 pages was circulated among lawmakers.
Peeved by the committee turning down their amendments, Opposition MPs from the Congress, AIMIM, TMC, and Shiv Sena (UBT) and the left parties announced they will submit their dissent notes to the committee.
Talking to media persons, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant said, “I have submitted a dissent note because there’s a misconception being spread. The Bill is being pushed for political purposes, not for justice, and it even disregards the Constitution. When they say the Waqf Board will include non-Muslims, I worry this could eventually impact temple regulations as well.”
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that amendments are not in the best interest of Waqf board. He said the 650-page report was signed last night, which was “practically impossible to read” and submit a dissent report.
“What we found is clear: these amendments are not in the best interest of the Waqf. In fact, they will destroy the Waqf Board,” Owaisi said.
The parliamentary committee scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill adopted its draft report and the amended version of the proposed law with a majority vote on Wednesday.
Chairman of the joint parliamentary committee, Jagdambika Pal told media persons that Opposition lawmakers have time till 4pm to submit their dissent.
While the committee accepted all the amendments moved by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) lawmakers, it turned down all the amendments moved by the opposition lawmakers.
On Tuesday, a draft bill of over 600 pages was circulated among lawmakers.
Peeved by the committee turning down their amendments, Opposition MPs from the Congress, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Trinamool Congress (TMC), and Shiv Sena (UBT) and the left parties announced they will submit their dissent notes to the committee.
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Talking to media persons, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant said, “I have submitted a dissent note because there’s a misconception being spread. The Bill is being pushed for political purposes, not for justice, and it even disregards the Constitution. When they say the Waqf Board will include non-Muslims, I worry this could eventually impact temple regulations as well.”
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that amendments are not in the best interest of Waqf board. He said the 650-page report was signed last night, which was “practically impossible to read” and submit a dissent report.
“What we found is clear: these amendments are not in the best interest of the Waqf. In fact, they will destroy the Waqf Board,” Owaisi said.
The draft is expected to be submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) in August 2024, following its introduction in the Lok Sabha by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
The Bill aims to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to address issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties.
The TMC in its dissent note has said that the whole proceeding of the JPC have been made eye wash and farce by reason of taking the method unknown to the law by the Chairperson.
“The Parliamentary Procedure has been eschewed and has been given a total go by, by the Chairperson and thereby violated the rights of the Members to oppose the Bill and thereby violated the provisions of the Article 14 of the Constitution. 27th January 2025 will be marked as Black Day in the Democracy by reason of the whimsical arbitrary procedure adopted by the Chairperson,” the note reads.
On why the party is opposing the Bills in its entirety, the TMC leaders have said, “The various Clauses of the Amendment Bill deal with the land and building of the Waqf Board. The Parliament is not having the power to take away the right of the State Legislature and to Legislate a Law as regards land, that is to say, right over lands, lands and buildings vested in or in possession of the State, which falls under Entry 18 and Entry 35 of the State List, that is List II of the 7thSchedule of the Constitution of India, in the name of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024. The Bill violates not only the Basic structure also the Federal Structure of the Constitution of India.”
