Opposition demands Waqf Bill be sent to parliamentary committee for scrutiny

Representation image. Pic/PTI

Opposition parties urged on Wednesday that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill be referred to Parliament's standing committee for review following its introduction. The government notified the Business Advisory Committee that it would make a decision based on Lok Sabha opinion.

The administration declared during the Committee meeting that it will not advocate for the Bill's consideration and passage after it is introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. There is a significant probability that the government will agree to refer the Bill, which is opposed by some Muslim organisations, to a parliamentary panel. According to sources, even some pro-government parties have qualms about the planned legislation, reported PTI.

According to the report, Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, stated that the government will decide whether to present the Bill to Parliament on Thursday.

Congress MP Gourav Gogoi and Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay were among the opposition members who urged the Bill to be referred to the standing committee for scrutiny.

The Lok Sabha's departmental standing committees are yet to be formed. If the administration chooses to proceed without the standing committee, the House may appoint a separate body to review the Bill, the news agency report stated.

According to the PTI report, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which attempts to reform the law governing waqf boards, includes substantial amendments, including as guaranteeing that Muslim women and non-Muslims be represented in these bodies. It also seeks to rename the Waqf Act of 1995 as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, of 1995.

The Bill was circulated among Lok Sabha members on Tuesday night before its introduction. According to its statement of goals and reasons, the Bill seeks to remove Section 40 of current law, which relates to the Board's authority to determine whether a property is waqf property. It ensures that the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards have a diverse membership and that Muslim women and non-Muslims are represented in such bodies, the report stated.

The Bill also recommends creating a separate Auqaf board for the Bohras and Aghakhanis, as well as representation for Shias, Sunnis, Bohras, Agakhanis, and other backward sections in Muslim communities.