Waqf Amendment Bill Cleared By Joint Parliamentary Committee, 14 Amendments Approved

KANIKA SINGH RATHORE,


New Delhi:

A Joint Parliamentary Committee on Monday cleared the Waqf Amendment Bill – which seeks to make 44 changes to the way Muslim charitable properties are managed in the country – with 14 alterations to the draft tabled in the House in August last year. Overall 66 had been proposed – 23 by MPs from the ruling BJP and 44 from opposition members – to the committee led by BJP MP Jagadambika Pal.

However, changes proposed by the opposition were rejected after committee members voted on party lines; the JPC has 16 MPs from the BJP or allied parties and only 10 from the oppostion.

Voting to confirm acceptance of the 14 changes will take place January 29, and the final report will be submitted by January 31, sources told NDTV. The committee had originally been asked to file the report by November 29 but that deadline was extended to February 13, the final day of the Budget Session.

“…44 amendments were discussed. In detailed discussions (spread) over six months, we sought amendments from all members. This was our final meeting… 14 were accepted by the committee on the basis of a majority (vote). Opposition also suggested amendments… each was put to a vote. There were 10 votes supporting theirs (suggested amendments) and 16 votes opposing it…” Mr Pal said.

The committee set up to study the amendments has had nearly three dozen hearings but many have ended in chaos after opposition MPs accused the Chair of bias towards the ruling party.

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The BJP’s Aparajita Sarangi referred to those claims this afternoon when she told news agency ANI that Mr Pal “tried to hear everybody out and gave sufficient time for everybody to move amendments…”

Last week opposition MPs wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to voice their concerns, saying Mr Pal was trying to “steamroll” the Waqf Amendment Bill through, with one eye on the Feb 5 Delhi election.

The appeal came after 10 opposition MPs were suspended; they, and their colleagues, complained that hey were not being given time to study the suggested changes.

READ | “Ensure Fair Proceedings”: Suspended Waqf Panel MPs To Speaker

The suspended MPs included the Trinamool Congress’ Kalyan Banerjee and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen boss Asaduddin Owaisi, both of whom are fierce critics of the Waqf Amendment Bill.

In October, for example, Mr Banerjee had a ‘Hulk’ moment, smashing a glass bottle on the table and throwing it at Mr Pal. He later explained his actions, saying another BJP MP, ex-Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay flung verbal abuses at his family and provoked that strong reaction.

READ | Trinamool MP Explains ‘Hulk’ Moment During Waqf Bill Meeting

The Waqf Amendment Bill proposes numerous changes to the way Waqf boards are administered, including nominating non-Muslim and (at least two) women members.

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Also, the central Waqf Council must (if the amendments are passed) include a union minister and three MPs, as also two ex-judges, four people of ‘national repute’, and senior government officials, none of whom need be from the Islamic faith.

Further, under the new rules the Waqf Council can’t claim land.

NDTV Explains | Women, Non-Muslims, Council Can’t Claim Land: Waqf Changes

Other proposed changes are to limit donations from Muslims who have been practicing their faith for at least five years (a provision that triggered a row over the term ‘practicing Muslim’.

Sources told NDTV the idea is to empower Muslim women and children who “suffered” under the old law. However, critics, including opposition leaders like the Congress’ KC Venugopal, have said it constitutes a “direct attack on freedom of religion”.

READ | Opposition Targets Non-Muslims Provision In “Draconian” Waqf Bill

Mr Owaisi and the DMK’s Kanimozhi, meanwhile, have argued it violates multiple sections of the Constitution, including Article 15 (the right to practice a religion of one’s choice) and Article 30 (the right to minority communities to establish and administer their educational institutions).

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