New Delhi: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 is set to hold its first meeting on Thursday (August 22) at 11 am in the Parliament House Annexe in Delhi. The meeting will be chaired by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who represents Dumariyaganj constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
This committee has been formed to discuss Waqf Amendment Bill and will submit its report to the government by the end of the first week of the next Parliament session.
Purpose of first meeting
Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 8 by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. The introduction of the bill sparked strong protests from opposition parties.
Due to the uproar, the government decided to refer the bill to the JPC for further examination. This JPC includes 31 members, with 21 MPs from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. The committee is reviewing the bill and making recommendations based on its deliberations.
During this first meeting, representatives from the Ministry of Minority Affairs will present Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, along with the proposed changes that are part of the amendment.
Officials from the Law Ministry will also be present to discuss legal aspects of the bill. This meeting will focus on addressing the issues raised by opposition parties, which have raised concerns about the bill.
Opposition’s stand
The opposition parties, particularly Congress, have strongly opposed the bill. Congress MP KC Venugopal criticized the bill, calling it anti-Muslim and an attack on the Constitution. Various political parties that are part of INDIA Alliance have also opposed the bill in Parliament.
In response to these protests, Minister Kiren Rijiju reassured that the bill does not interfere with religious freedom. He stated that Waqf Act of 1995 has not been effective in achieving its intended goals, and the amendment is designed to address those gaps. Rijiju also emphasised that no constitutional articles are being violated with the introduction of this amendment.
Composition of JPC
The joint panel includes key leaders from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Some of the notable members from the Lok Sabha include Jagdambika Pal, Nishikant Dubey, Tejaswi Surya, Aparajita Sarangi and Asaduddin Owaisi. Members from the Rajya Sabha include Brij Lal, Medha Vishram Kulkarni, Syed Naseer Hussain and Sanjay Singh.
The JPC’s role is to carefully study the bill, taking into account the concerns of all parties involved, before presenting its recommendations. The outcome of this meeting and subsequent discussions will shape the next steps for Waqf Amendment Bill 2024.