Joint Parliamentary Committee clears Waqf Amendment Bill with 14 amendments

New Delhi: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Amendment Bill has cleared the legislation after incorporating 14 amendments. The bill, which seeks to strengthen the regulation and management of Waqf properties, was referred to the JPC in 2023.

The JPC scrutinising the Waqf Bill adopted all amendments proposed by the ruling BJP-led NDA members and negated every change moved by opposition members.

The committee chairman Jagdambika Pal told reporters after the meeting that amendments adopted by the committee will make the law better and more effective.

However, opposition MPs decried the meeting's proceedings and accused Pal of "subverting" the democratic process.

"It was a farcical exercise. We were not heard. Pal has acted in a dictatorial manner," TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee told reporters.

Pal rejected the charge, and said the entire exercise was democratic, and the majority view prevailed.

One of the more significant amendments proposed by the committee is that the existing Waqf properties cannot be questioned on the grounds of 'Waqf by user', which existed in the current law but will be omitted in the new version if the properties are being used for religious purposes.

Pal said the amendments moved by the NDA members in 14 of the Bill's clauses have been accepted.

Opposition members moved hundreds of amendments in all 44 clauses and all of them were defeated by vote, he added.

Voting to confirm acceptance of the 14 changes will take place on January 29, and the final report will be submitted by January 31. The committee had originally been asked to file the report by November 29 but that deadline was extended to February 13, the final day of the Budget Session.

The committee set up to study the amendments has had nearly three dozen hearings but many have ended in chaos after opposition MPs accused the Chair of bias towards the ruling party.

The Waqf Amendment Bill proposes numerous changes to the way Waqf boards are administered, including nominating non-Muslim and (at least two) women members.

Also, the central Waqf Council must (if the amendments are passed) include a union minister and three MPs, as also two ex-judges, four people of 'national repute', and senior government officials, none of whom need be from the Islamic faith.

Further, under the new rules, the Waqf Council can't claim land.

Other proposed changes are to limit donations from Muslims who have been practising their faith for at least five years (a provision that triggered a row over the term 'practising Muslim'.