The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Amendment Bill has approved 14 amendments, despite strong objections from Opposition parties. The amendments were passed after a majority vote, with 16 members supporting the changes and 10 opposing them. The contentious bill, which seeks to overhaul the Waqf Act of 1995, aims to address the management of Waqf properties in India, but has sparked a significant political divide.
JPC Chairperson Jagdambika Pal stated that the committee had thoroughly discussed 44 proposed amendments over six months. Despite the Opposition’s concerns, the amendments were finalized and put to a vote. “After detailed discussions, we sought amendments from all members, and the final 14 amendments were accepted based on a majority vote,” Pal explained. He further noted that the Opposition’s amendments were put forward but did not garner enough support to pass, with 10 votes in favor and 16 against.
Opposition argues that the bill undermines the rights of Muslims and violates the federal structure of India. BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, a member of the JPC, defended the process, stating that all members were given ample time to discuss the proposed amendments. “This has been a very democratic process,” Sarangi said, emphasizing that the committee had consulted over 284 stakeholders and held 34 sittings.
Waqf Amendment Bill is intended to reform the management of Waqf properties, but the proposed changes have drawn sharp criticism. One of the key amendments removes the District Collector’s authority to determine whether a property is a Waqf property, instead granting the decision to a designated officer from the state government. Another amendment modifies a controversial provision requiring non-Muslim members in Waqf boards, now specifying that two of the nominated members must be non-Muslim.
Criticisms From Opposition
Despite the government’s defense of the amendments, the Opposition has strongly criticized the JPC’s decision-making process. Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee accused the committee’s leadership of undermining democracy, claiming that members were not allowed to speak during the final meeting. “Jagdambika Pal has destroyed democracy. They did whatever they had fixed, without following any rules or procedures,” Banerjee charged.
Congress MP Naseer Hussain echoed the sentiment, claiming that 95-98% of stakeholders opposed the bill. “There was no proper clause-by-clause discussion, and the bill was pushed through without adequate consultation,” Hussain said.As the JPC prepares to release its final draft report on January 29, the Opposition parties are planning to submit a dissent note, reflecting their opposition to the amendments and the process.
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