JPC clears Waqf bill, accepts NDA’s 14 amendments; Opposition calls it ‘farcical exercise’

The legislation seeks to bring changes to the powers of state waqf boards, survey of waqf properties and removal of encroachments by amending the Waqf Act, 1995

New Delhi: The Joint Parliamentary Committee reviewing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Monday adopted all the amendments proposed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members, and negated every change moved the by the opposition MPs.

“ A total of 44 amendments were discussed. After detailed discussions over the course of 6 months, we sought amendments from all members.

This was our final meeting… So, 14 amendments have been accepted by the committee on the basis of a majority. Opposition too had suggested amendments. We moved each and every of those amendments & it was put to vote but there were 10 votes supporting theirs (suggested amendments) and 16 votes opposing it,” JPC chairperson Jagdambika Pal told ANI after the meeting.

The opposition MPs slammed the meeting’s proceedings, accusing the JPC chairperson of “subverting” the democratic processes.

“It was a farcical exercise. We were not heard. Pal has acted in a dictatorial manner,” PTI quoted TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee as saying.

“Today, they did everything that they had pre-decided. They did not allow us to speak anything. No rules and procedures have been followed… We wanted to discuss the amendments clause-by-clause but did not let us speak at all. The JPC chairperson Jagdambika Pal moved the amendments and then declared them without listening to our points… This is a bad day for democracy,” Banerjee added.

Pal rejected the charge, and said the entire exercise was democratic, and the majority view prevailed.
In August last year, the Waqf (Amendment) bill was referred to the 21-member JPC. The legislation seeks to bring changes to the powers of state waqf boards, survey of waqf properties and removal of encroachments by amending the Waqf Act, 1995.

‘Joke with the minority of country’: Samajwadi Party
Samajwadi Party MP Mohibbullah Nadvi said, “This is a joke with the minority of the country, with the Waqf Board. Constitution has been bulldozed…This makes it seem that the Bill that was brought in was just a joke…This is a process to loot the Waqf Board. Parliamentary procedure was not followed.”