The Waqf Amendment Bill has become a political flashpoint. The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is functioning actively and will hold four major meetings in the next two days. In these meetings, suggestions from organizations and intellectuals associated with the Muslim community will be taken. These meetings will be held inside the Parliament. Members of the Joint Committee have also been called upon to attend these meetings. So far, the JPC has received 8.4 million suggestions and written suggestions have been boxed in 70 boxes. Meanwhile, many Muslim organizations have also expressed opposition to the Waqf Bill.
In fact, on August 8, the Modi government introduced two bills in the Lok Sabha, namely the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Muslim Waqf (Abolition) Bill, 2024. The government said that the purpose of these bills is to improve the functioning of the Waqf Board and ensure the effective management of the Waqf properties. The opposition expressed strong objections to some of the clauses. Subsequently, the case was sent to the Joint Committee of Parliament for further investigation. However, the Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju explained why the bill needed to be introduced. Rijiju said that a minority has taken control of the entire Waqf Board. This bill was introduced to correct the justice that ordinary Muslims did not get. Who supports this bill and who opposes it will go down in history.
Jagdambika Pal is the president of JPC
The committee is chaired by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal. The committee has 31 members. Of these, 21 are from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. The committee has to submit its report in the first week of the next parliamentary session. The committee includes Imran Masood and Mohammad Javed from the Congress, Maulana Mohibullah from the Samajwadi Party and Asaduddin Owaisi from AIMIM. The committee is hearing the opinions of the people on the bill and holding meetings.
Recommendations are being adopted through meetings
The Waqf Amendment Bill, which seeks to restrict the powers of the Waqf Board, has been referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). The JPC has held four meetings so far on the bill. During this period, the JPC sought public comments on the Waqf Amendment Bill. The JPC has extended the last date for making recommendations to 12 midnight on September 16.
Experts will make recommendations to JPC
The JPC will again hold a two-day meeting to discuss the Waqf Amendment Bill. These meetings will be held on September 19 and 20. The committee will hear from experts at 12 noon on September 19, and Patna Prime Minister Professor Faizan Mustafa will give his opinion. Later, representatives of the Pasmandar Muslim Mahaj will also give their opinion. The opinions of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board will also be heard. On September 20, representatives of the All India Sajjadanshin Council will also present their views before the committee. Representatives of the Muslim Awami League and the Bharat First Party will also attend the meeting.
The next JPC meeting will be held on September 26
It is believed that both days will see heated debates on the Waqf Amendment Bill. Opposition parties are constant attackers. Earlier, the meeting was marked by heated debates and walkouts by opposition members. A lot of agitation was generated in the meeting. Meanwhile, 84 lakh suggestions have been emailed to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Waqf so far. Apart from this, 70 boxes filled with written suggestions have been found. Sources said that the JPC has released a link through which suggestions from people are sought. The committee clarified that they have not released the QR code yet. The next meeting of the committee will be held from September 26 to October 1 in 6 different cities across the country. There, opinion polls will be conducted among intellectuals and Muslim organizations. The JPC members will go to Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru. Finally, after considering the bill, the committee will submit its report before the winter session of Parliament.
What are the main objections of Muslim organizations?
Opposition parties have been protesting since the first meeting of the JPC. Many lawmakers said the bill in its current form would violate laws on liberty, religious freedom and equality.
Apart from this, there were also objections to the inclusion of magistrates and other community members in religious courts.
– Muslim organisations say efforts are being made to deprive Muslims in the country of the great heritage left by their ancestors in the form of religious funds for the welfare of the poor and needy.
– Jamiat Chairman Maulana Arshad Madani said waqf is a purely religious matter and has its roots in Islamic law. He claimed that the government wants to change the status of waqf properties so that it is easier to take possession of them.
Madani said that after the new amendment is passed, a Raj Collector will be established. The Waqf Court has the final say on which properties belong to the Waqf and which do not. The Collector’s decision on ownership will be final. Earlier, this power belonged to the Waqf Court. The proposed amendment to the Waqf Act also goes against the religious freedom granted by the Constitution and violates Articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution.
– The DMK and other opposition parties are against the inclusion of non-Muslims in the Waqf Board. Questions have also been raised over the powers given to the district magistrate. The opposition said how can the district collector take a decision on the dispute as it would lead to conflict of interest.
The bill will be passed in the next few days.
On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill deals with the management and protection of waqf properties. The Bill will be passed in Parliament in the coming days. Shah said the Bill will also prevent misuse of waqf properties. Meanwhile, former Home Minister and senior BRS leader Mohammad Mahmood Ali took exception to Shah’s remarks. He said, “We are against this Bill. It weakens the powers of the Waqf Board. Instead of taking away the powers of the Waqf Board through this Bill, the Bill should strengthen it by giving it more powers. We have submitted a memorandum to the JSC. Another memorandum will be provided in the coming days.”
What JPC Chairman Pal said…
JPC Chairperson Jagdambika Pal said that no mosque, madrassa, khanqah, dargah or graveyard land will be lost due to the Waqf Amendment Bill. It is only an attempt to regulate the Waqf. The ongoing campaign regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill, especially in Muslim-dominated areas and markets, people are announcing through microphones that their land, mosques, madrassa, khanqah etc. will be taken away, all these baseless things are being spread so that there may be unrest in the country. People should avoid such rumours. The purpose of seeking suggestions through emails is that if someone wants to express his point of view, he can express it. But if this type of campaign is conducted by scanning emails or QR codes, it is useless. These campaigns will not have an impact on the JPC or its functioning. Fundamentalists like Zakir Nayak are also misleading people. People should not be confused. Only the opinions of stakeholders related to the Waqf will be heard. Attempts to sabotage through QR and campaigns will not succeed.
What is the agenda for a Joint Commission meeting?
– The meeting of the Joint Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which was scheduled for September 18, 2024, has been postponed. The first meeting will be held on September 19 from 11 am to 1 pm. The meeting was held at the Parliament Library building. During this period, suggestions from experts and stakeholders will be heard. Chanakya of Patna was in the meeting
National Law University Vice-Chancellor Professor Faizan Mustafa and representatives of Pasmandar Muslim Mahaji will participate.
– There will be a lunch break in the afternoon. An hour later, at 3 pm, representatives of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board will present their case before the Joint Committee.
– The next day, September 20, at 11 am, another meeting will be held. This meeting will be held in the Main Committee Room of the Annex Building of Parliament House. During this period, representatives of the All India Sajjadanshin Committee of Ajmer will be heard for their suggestions. There will be a lunch break in the afternoon.
– The joint committee will meet again at 2.30 pm during which representatives of Muslim Vidhan Sabha and Delhi Bharat First will give their suggestions.
The Joint Committee informed that the agenda paper is being uploaded on the member portal of Lok Sabha members. While it is being sent to Rajya Sabha members through email. The MPs have been asked to ensure participation in these committee meetings.
What are the Modi government’s plans?
Earlier, the Modi cabinet had approved about 40 amendments to the Waqf Act. The central government wants to restrict the power of the Waqf Board to declare any property as “waqf property”. The purpose of these amendments is to restrict the power of the Waqf Board to designate any property as “waqf property”. Claims made against the property will be compulsorily verified by the Waqf Board. After the amendment bill is passed, there will be major changes in the management and transfer of waqf properties. The reasons for amending the law were also mentioned. The recommendations of the Justice Sachar Committee and the Joint Parliamentary Committee headed by Rehman Khan were cited.
What is JPC?
The fact is that Parliament needs a body in which the entire House has confidence. For this purpose, Parliamentary Committees are formed. These committees consist of only the members of Parliament. JPC is formed to look into cases of financial irregularities in any bill or any government activity. This is necessary because Parliament has a lot of work to do. There is less time to complete these tasks. Because of this, when any work or matter comes to Parliament, it cannot be considered in depth. In such a situation, many tasks are handled by committees, which are known as Parliamentary Committees. Joint Parliamentary Committees are also formed for the same purpose. It consists of members of both the Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Parliamentary Committees consist of Parliament itself. These committees work on the instructions of the Speaker of Parliament and submit their reports to Parliament or the Speaker.
Follow us On Social Media Google News and Twitter/X