Waqf Amendment Bill: All 14 proposals of Modi government approved, Parliamentary Committee gave green signal
New Delhi: All 14 amendments included in the Waqf Amendment Bill proposed by the Central Government have been approved by the Joint Parliamentary Committee. This bill has been introduced to ensure transparency in managing and operation of Waqf properties. In the committee meeting, these amendments were approved after extensive discussion.
#Watch Delhi: BJP MP and Joint Parliamentary Committee Chairman Jagdambika Pal, constituted on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, said, “… The government had urged the Speaker that we are bringing this amendment for the betterment of the Waqf and the benefit of the general public… All 44 amendments of JPC have been discussed… all sides… pic.twitter.com/tbqxfczglp
– ani_hindinews (@ahindinews) January 27, 2025
The Modi government had proposed 14 amendments for changes in the Waqf Act, whose main objective is to prevent misuse of Waqf properties and make management more effective. These amendments have made clear provisions regarding the rights of the Waqf Board, registration and use of property.
Significantly, proposals for a total of 44 changes were presented before the committee, but only 14 proposals were approved. BJP MP and JPC President Jagdambika Pal said that members of the opposition had proposed hundreds of amendments to all 44 sections of the bill, but they were rejected through voting. The important amendment proposed by the committee is that existing Waqf properties cannot be challenged on the basis of ‘Waqf by user’ present in the current law, if these assets are being used for religious purposes.
Discussion in the meeting of the parliamentary committee
The Joint Committee of Parliament was sitting on the Waqf Bill at 11 am on Monday 27 January 2025. During this time, every clause was discussed on the bill. JPC President Jagdambika Pal says that the amendment law adopted by the committee will be made more better and effective. At the same time, opposition MPs have condemned the proceedings of the opposition regarding the bill.
Opposition to opposition
During the meeting, some opposition MPs objected to the amendments and described it as a threat to the rights of the minority community. Opposition MPs criticized the proceedings of the meeting and accused Pal of “weakening the democratic process”. TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee told reporters, “This was a showy meeting. We did not even go to hear. Pal has worked in a dictatorial way. ” At the same time, Pal dismissed these allegations and said that the whole process was democratic and a decision was taken only through majority.
