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Revised Waqf bill may be introduced in Parliament
The Union government is likely to introduce the revised Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament when the Budget session resumes on March 10, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The Union government is likely to introduce the revised Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament when the Budget session resumes on March 10, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
According to a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionary privy to the details, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared the bill, which was earlier sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), last week.
The bill, which proposes 40 amendments to the provisions of the Waqf Act, has suggested modifications such as ensuring representation for Muslim women and non-Muslims in the Waqf boards.
It also proposes sweeping changes in the regulation and governance of India’s waqf boards, which manage Islamic charitable endowments.
The revised Bill is expected to include the suggestions made by the JPC, following extensive consultations with political parties, religious leaders, legal experts and the public. The bill was referred to a JPC, headed by Jagdambika Pal, in August 2024 after it was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Union minister for minority affairs Kiren Rijiju.
The report was adopted by a majority vote while 11 opposition lawmakers moved dissent notes.
Earlier, opposition leaders accused the JPC of accepting all the amendments moved by the government while rejecting all 44 amendments put forward by the opposition. It eventually led to an uproar in the Parliament when the committee report was tabled on February 13, with the opposition alleging that their dissent notes were not made part of the final report.
