 "Kiren Rijiju, Kiren, Rijiju")
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju with Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal addresses the media after the all-party meeting ahead of the Budget session of Parliament, July 21, 2024. (Photo: PTI)
#WATCH | Speaking in Lok Sabha on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju says,”…This bill being brought today is based on the report of Sachar committee (which called for reform) which you made (Congress)…” pic.twitter.com/ud6VKg2l0k
— ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2024
Following criticism from the Opposition, the bill was referred to a joint parliamentary panel for further scrutiny on Thursday evening.
Why is the INDIA bloc opposing the Waqf board bill?
Earlier today, the Congress-led INDIA bloc opposed the bill, labelling it as an “attack on the federal system” and called it “anti-Muslim.”
In response, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’ had asserted that the bill does not interfere with the mosques but aims to regulate the institution and so, cannot be labelled anti-Muslim.
VIDEO | “The Bill has been sent to JPC. Maybe the government didn’t have answers to the questions asked by the opposition, and that is why it has been sent to the Committee,” says RJD MP Misa Bharti (@MisaBharti) on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 being sent to JPC. #WaqfBoardBill pic.twitter.com/pw7otLRj18
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 8, 2024
Akhilesh Yadav opposes Waqf board bill
Samajwadi Party chief and Lok Sabha MP Akhilesh Yadav also opposed the bill vehemently. NCP (SCP) MP Supriya Sule had urged the Centre to first send the bill to a standing committee for consultations. “Please do not push agendas…” she said. Meanwhile, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the bill saying that it is against Articles 14, 15, and 25 of the Constitution.
The bill has been proposed to overhaul the existing Waqf Act, 1995, by introducing new provisions, including its renaming to Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.
One of the most highlighted aspects of the bill is that it seeks to omit Section 40 of the existing law, which deals with the powers of a Waqf Board to decide if a property is Waqf property.
The draft law also has provisions for wider representation, including of women and non-Muslims, in the bill.
First Published: Aug 08 2024 | 4:29 PM IST
