NEW DELHI: The Joint Committee of Parliament (JCP) panel on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill formally adopted its report on Wednesday, and the amended version of the proposed law with 15-11 votes was confirmed by chairperson Jagdambika Pal.
The adoption comes amid opposition’s protests and accusations of government interference in religious affairs of Muslims.
Meanwhile, opposition members strongly criticised the passed bill, stating it was “unconstitutional” and would undermine the Waqf board through governmental interference in Muslim religious affairs, reported news agency PTI.
Though Pal asserted that numerous committee-approved amendments addressed opposition concerns, stating the Bill’s implementation would enhance the Waqf board’s transparency and effectiveness.
He noted that “pasmanda” Muslims, economically disadvantaged individuals, women and orphans have been newly included as Waqf beneficiaries. The BJP member indicated the report would be presented to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday, leaving further proceedings to his and Parliament’s discretion.
The committee conducted 38 meetings in the capital since its establishment on August 8 and travelled nationwide for stakeholder consultations. Opposition members from Congress, DMK, TMC, AAP and AIMIM continued their strong objections to the committee’s operations and the approved Bill version.
They noted receiving the 655-page report on Tuesday night with limited review time. TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee described the committee’s findings as “wholly perverse”. Owaisi warned of governmental interference, whilst Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain deemed the amendments “unconstitutional”.
DMK’s A Raja indicated legal challenge plans, while BJP MP Tejasvi Surya defended the law as promoting transparency. The Bill removes the “Waqf by user” clause but prevents retrospective case reopening for undisputed properties.
The Joint Committee’s report maintains prospective implementation of ‘Waqf by user’ definition removal and supports non-Muslim inclusion in Waqf boards. It transfers dispute investigation authority from district collectors to senior state government appointees.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, introduced by Union minister Kiren Rijiju, aims to improve Waqf property regulation and management through modifications to the 1995 Act.