New Delhi, Jan 29 (Representative) The Joint Parliamentary Committee scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, on Wednesday adopted its report with a majority vote, JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal said. The amended version of the proposed law was passed by a majority vote of 15-11 despite opposition termed the amendments as “unconstitutional”, alleging that the Bill is aimed at targeting minorities.Talking to reporters, Jagdambika Pal said, “We had circulated the 656-page JPC report to all members. Based on all deliberations of the JPC and the report prepared after that, the JPC committee will finally adopt the report”. “Today is an important day for JPC on Waqf for two reasons- we will present our report to the Lok Sabha Sabha Speaker Om Birla and get it adopted, and also get the amended revised bill adopted”.In August last year, the Waqf (Amendment) bill was referred to the 21-member JPC. The legislation seeks to bring changes to the powers of state waqf boards, survey of waqf properties and removal of encroachments by amending the Waqf Act, 1995. On the meeting of JPC on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, ” We received the 656-page report last night. It is humanly impossible to read the report overnight. I have given a dissent report against the amendments which are not in favour of the Waqf Board. I will also oppose this Bill in Parliament”.
Echoing the same sentiments, DMK MP A Raja says, “The draft report has been adopted in a hurried manner. Last night we received the draft report by 9.50 pm, how can the Chairman expect that we will submit the dissent note overnight”.SP MP Mohibbullah Nadvi called it “Unfortunate” and said the way discussions were held and points presented, should not have been done in this way. The stakeholders and the opinions of people across the country were neglected while adopting the report”. TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said, “I have given my dissent note… We received a 656-page draft report yesterday around 7:55 pm. The observations and recommendations of the committee in this report are wholly perverse”.”According to me, the JPC proceedings have turned into mockery… All other views have been totally ignored” he added. SP MP Mohibbullah Nadvi said, “This is a joke with the minority of the country, with the Waqf Board. Constitution has been bulldozed. This makes it seem that the Bill that was brought in was just a joke…This is a process to loot Waqf Board. Parliamentary procedure was not followed.
“The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 is aimed at addressing the challenges and bringing reformative changes like legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties, improved transparency, enhanced audits and digitisation.The Waqf Act of 1995 was enacted to regulate Waqf properties and has faced criticism for corruption, encroachments and mismanagement. Hitting out at the opposition leaders, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said, “JPC on Waqf Amendment Bill has concluded today. The intention of the government was to bring modernity, transparency and accountability in the management of Waqf properties and to also prevent the abuse of the law by vested interests who were trying to encroach upon lands at the cost of social and communal harmony in the country”. “The final report is a fine document that empowers the Muslim community by bringing in much-needed accountability and transparency in the dealing of the Waqf Board” he added.