A joint parliamentary committee on Monday cleared the 2024 Waqf Amendment Bill after adopting proposals by members of the ruling National Democratic Alliance, PTI reported.

The amendments proposed by Opposition MPs were negated, the news agency reported.

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Jagdambika Pal, who chaired the committee, said the meeting held on Monday was its last and that the panel had discussed 44 amendments.

The 44 amendments in the bill, tabled in Parliament in August, propose to curb the authority of waqf boards, allow greater control by the government, allow non-Muslims to be members of the boards, restrict the donation of properties and change how waqf tribunals function.

A waqf is a property given for a religious, educational or charitable cause by Muslims. In India, waqfs are governed under the Waqf Act. Each state has a Waqf Board led by a legal entity, which is vested with the power to acquire, hold and transfer property. The Act was last amended in 2013.

After objections from the Opposition, the draft legislation was referred to the joint parliamentary committee on August 8 for further consultation.

On Monday, Pal told ANI that 14 amendments were accepted by the committee based on the majority.

“Opposition too had suggested amendments,” said the BJP MP. “We moved each and every of those amendments and it was put to vote, but there were 10 votes supporting theirs [proposed amendments] and 16 votes opposing it…”

Procedures were bypassed, claims Opposition

Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain, a committee member, claimed that 95% to 98% of stakeholders had opposed the draft legislation.

“Be it the chairman or ministry, their replies were not supplied to the members,” ANI quoted Hussain as having alleged. “They were not discussed. Clause-to-clause discussions are held after meeting stakeholders, but that wasn’t done. We were not provided minutes of the discussion...”

The Congress leader alleged that the amendments were put to vote without a discussion or explanation.

“All procedures were bypassed and the chairman made minor changes to the bill and pushed it forward,” ANI quoted Hussain as saying. “There was no discussion at all...The entire JPC process is a farce...So, we have opposed and boycotted it now.”

Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee said that the exercise of the committee scrutinising the bill was farcical, PTI reported.

Pal did not allow a discussion at all, ANI quoted Banerjee as having alleged.

Banerjee added: “He then brought in the amendment motion. We were not all allowed to speak in the amendment motion. He himself moved, counted and declared. All amendments have been passed. Our [Opposition’s] amendments have been rejected and theirs have been allowed. This was a farce proceeding. This is a black day of democracy...”

On Friday, 10 Opposition members of the committee were suspended for a day after they protested against the alleged last-minute change in the agenda of the meeting made by Pal.

The bill has been opposed by leaders of the Opposition INDIA bloc and Muslim groups including Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, who said it violated the right to freedom of religion and the freedom to manage religious affairs, among others.


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