The Lok Sabha on Wednesday began an eight-hour debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill, with Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introducing the legislation and accusing the Congress of controversial amendments in the past. He claimed the UPA government denotified 123 major properties, including those in a long-standing legal dispute, and suggested that Parliament itself might have been handed over to the Waqf if not for intervention.
Rijiju emphasized that the bill was about property management, not religious matters. He criticized opposition parties for misinformation and warned against politicizing the issue. The bill introduces key reforms, including requiring two non-Muslims and at least two women in each state Waqf Board and the central Waqf Council.
Opposition MPs NK Ramachandran and KC Venugopal raised concerns about the parliamentary committee’s authority to make changes and the lack of time given to review amendments. Home Minister Amit Shah countered, defending the committee’s role and accusing Congress-era panels of being "rubber stamps."
The bill, first tabled in August 2023, faced stiff resistance and was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. Despite opposition claims of being sidelined, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi asserted that all voices were heard. The committee held 36 hearings, many disrupted by protests. Out of 66 proposed amendments, all 44 from the opposition were rejected, while 14 of the 23 from BJP and allies were approved.
A major controversy arose over the exclusion of opposition dissent notes from the final report, though the government later agreed to include them. The bill’s original provisions also sought to regulate donations and introduce figures of "national repute" in Waqf boards. The proposed changes aim to make Waqf management more transparent and inclusive.
OpinionExpress.In
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