NEW DELHI: Waqf (Amendment) Bill is expected to be introduced in Lok Sabha next week, inviting another round of confrontation between govt and opposition as both are firm on their stands as majority of opposition parties have opposed the legislation.
Cabinet has approved the proposed amendments to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill incorporating the changes recently recommended by the parliamentary panel, paving the way for it to be tabled for discussion and passage.
The bill was referred to JPC in Aug 2024 after it was introduced in Lok Sabha by minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju. The parliamentary panel adopted the report with majority vote while all 11 MPs from opposition parties in the panel had objected to the report. They had also moved dissent notes. The 655-page report was submitted to both Houses of Parliament earlier this month. The panel, while doing away with the “Waqf by User” provision, going forward, has allowed only existing “Registered Waqf by User” to be recognised as waqf. This will exclude the cases where the properties are under dispute or owned by govt. As per the report, the panel had supported inclusion of non-Muslims in waqf boards, which can go upto four and recommended transfer of dispute investigation authority from district collectors to senior state govt appointees.
The state waqf boards will now include one member from the Muslim OBC community, ensuring broader representation. NDA, led by BJP is safely placed in Lok Sabha as a simple majority requires 272 votes to pass any legislation. NDA has 293 of 543 seats. In Jan, JPC approved 14 amendments proposed by NDA members, with TDP and JDU backing the revised version, signaling their alignment with BJP’s agenda. The proposed amendments introduce a series of changes designed to modernise the Waqf system. Among the key provisions are stricter regulations governing the registration and monitoring of Waqf properties.
