The Joint Parliamentary Panel tasked with reviewing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, approved the proposed legislation on Monday as reported by the Money control endorsing all amendments put forward by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while rejecting all proposed changes from Opposition members.
MJPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal told the media that a meeting was conducted for a clause-by-clause review of the bill, during which opposition members proposed amendments to 44 clauses. He expressed confidence that the amendments approved would result in a stronger and improved bill.
Pal further stated that amendments proposed by NDA members to 14 clauses of the Bill were accepted, while all amendments put forward by opposition members to 44 clauses were rejected following a vote.
Pal stated, “After six months of detailed discussions, we requested amendments from all members. This was our final meeting, and based on a majority, the committee accepted 14 amendments.”
“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.
This development comes just ahead of the 2025 Budget Session, which is set to begin on January 31 and run through February 13, with a second phase from March 10 to April 4, 2025.
One of the key amendments proposed by the committee is the removal of a provision in the existing law that exempts Waqf properties from being challenged on the grounds of ‘Waqf by user’. Under the new version, this exemption will be eliminated if the properties are used for religious purposes, according to reports from CNN-News18.
The JPC proceedings have been mired in controversy, with several Opposition members calling them “farcical” and accusing Chairman 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.
However, Pal dismissed the allegations, asserting that the entire process was democratic and that the majority view had prevailed. “I asked all members if they were moving amendments, and they confirmed they would. There’s nothing more democratic than this. They also approved some amendments proposed by the NDA,” he said.
Opposition members of the JPC raised objections to a clause that proposes changing the short title of the Act from the ‘Waqf Act, 1995’ to the ‘Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act, 1995’ (UMEED). The leaders questioned the government’s intent behind renaming the Bill, arguing that such a change was unnecessary.
Both the ruling alliance and opposition members proposed over 500 amendments to 44 clauses of the bill. Opposition members have strongly opposed the provision for separate Waqf boards for specific sects, such as the Aga Khanis and Shias.
On Friday, 10 opposition MPs were suspended for a day after accusing Pal of bias and causing a disruption. Among those suspended were Kalyan Banerjee, Congress’ Nasir Hussain and Mohd Jawed, DMK’s A Raja, and AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi.
