Vikrant Shekhawat : Feb 03, 2025, 10:44 AM
Parliament Session: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) will present its report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 on Monday, February 3 in the budget session of Parliament. The committee, constituted under the chairmanship of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Jagdambika Pal, has prepared the final report on the bill. However, opposition MPs have expressed disagreement with this report.JPC report and controversyThe JPC report will be presented in the Lok Sabha by Jagdambika Pal and BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal. This report will also contain records of evidence given before the committee along with Hindi and English versions. Pal met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and obtained permission to present the report. He says that for the first time a clause has been added to this bill, which ensures that the properties of Waqf and their benefits are used for the welfare of marginalized people, poor, women and orphans.In the JPC meeting, amendments were proposed on 14 out of 44 clauses, which were decided by majority by voting. The committee accepted these amendments and approved the final report.Owaisi's displeasureAll India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has objected to the JPC report. He alleged that parts of his dissent note were removed from the report without his knowledge. Expressing his displeasure on the social media platform 'X', Owaisi wrote, "I had given a detailed dissent note to the JPC, but some parts of it were removed. It is shocking that factual points were removed from the report despite not being controversial." He also accused the JPC chairman of suppressing the voice of the opposition.Criticism of the Waqf Act and need for amendmentThe Waqf Act, which came into force in 1995, was enacted to manage and regulate waqf properties. However, in the last few decades, this act has been criticized for matters related to mismanagement, corruption and encroachment. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 aims to address these problems by implementing reforms such as digitisation, strict auditing system, increasing transparency and retrieving illegally occupied properties.Opposition's opposition and way forwardThe opposition believes that this bill is an attempt to control the properties of a particular community and there is a lack of balance in its implementation. Many MPs have demanded more clarity and inclusive dialogue from the government regarding this.Now it will be interesting to see what is the response to this report when it is presented in Parliament and whether the government takes any steps to address the objections of the opposition.