JPC submits Waqf Amendment Bill report to Lok Sabha Speaker

The Union government is likely to pass the bill during the upcoming budget session.

The Joint Parliament Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Amendment Bill submitted its final report to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday, January 30 at his office in Parliament House.

The JPC chairman Jagdambika Pal met Speaker Birla and submitted the report. The draft report was adopted by the panel on January 29 by a 15:11 majority vote. The final report contained the changes suggested by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members but those made by the Opposition were reportedly ignored.

Later, the JPC chairman told ANI, “I hope we have fulfilled the responsibility that was given to us by the Speaker. The government wanted to hold discussions on bringing this new law. The way in which all the members have contributed to the Bill, it will definitely benefit the poor, women and children.”

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The Union government is likely to pass the bill during the upcoming budget session.

Waqf Amendment Bill

One of the amendments aims to empower the state government to appoint an officer to determine whether a property is Waqf or not — instead of the District Collector who was given absolute powers to do so in the proposed Bill.

In the Waqf Act 1995, that power is vested in survey commissioners and additional commissioners.

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The panel also approved changes to another contentious provision that mandated the inclusion of two non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards.

It dropped the term ‘mandatory’ and proposed changes in the composition of the Waqf Board by increasing it to three members, including a scholar.

Autocratic behaviour from JPC chairman, alleges Opposition

As many as 11 Opposition MPs in the JPC hit out at the ‘autocratic’ behaviour of chairman Jagdambika Pal and his haste in accepting the 14 amendments proposed by the NDA members.

According to reports, a total of 66 amendments were proposed in the Waqf Bill including 23 by the ruling BJP MPs and 44 from Opposition members.

Opposition MPs had submitted 44 changes which were rejected, which led to a furore by political parties.

In a joint statement, the Opposition MPs said, “As the committee has arrived at its closure part of the deliberation, we the members of the Opposition registered our protest then and there both in conducting the proceedings of the JPC by the chairman as well the gross and serious deviations from the rules and procedures contemplated thereon.”

JPC member and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi on January 27 rejected the passing of the bill terming it “undemocratic.”

Owaisi, while speaking at the joint press meeting by the Opposition members of the JPC said that through the bill, the Modi-led government is not safeguarding the Waqf properties nor the interests of the Muslim community of India.

“The Union government wants to “demolish and finish off the whole Waqf properties. These amendments are not brought to strengthen the Waqf board or remove the encroachments on Waqf properties but to reward encroachers,” Owaisi said.

“The government intends to superimpose the Hindutva ideology over the Waqf board,” Owaisi added.

Echoing similar sentiments, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Waheed Para said the amendments to the Waqf Act are an assault on the Muslims of the country which can further marginalise the minority community.

“Now, the BJP’s latest amendments to the Waqf Act signal yet another step in this relentless assault, this time targeting the very foundation of Muslim religious and charitable institutions. Under the definition of reform, these changes are an attempt to seize control of Waqf properties, further marginalising Muslims and tightening the government’s grip over their assets,” Para said.

He alleged that the most dangerous amendment eliminates waqf, effectively paving the way for mass land grabs. He said this bill is not about transparency or efficiency.

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