THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, April 2: The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha today for discussion and passage, with Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju presenting it in Parliament.
While introducing the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, Kiren Rijiju accused certain political and religious leaders of misleading Muslims, drawing a parallel to previous claims about the CAA revoking their citizenship, which, he pointed out, never materialized.
He also alleged that many Congress leaders and opposition parties privately acknowledged the necessity of the Bill but were opposing it publicly for electoral gains.
The Lok Sabha’s Business Advisory Committee (BAC), comprising leaders from all major parties and chaired by Speaker Om Birla, approved an eight-hour debate, with the possibility of an extension based on the House’s consensus.
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The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to fundamentally restructure the governance of Waqf boards, which manage properties donated by the Muslim community for religious and charitable purposes.
The Joint Committee of Parliament, led by BJP MP Jagadambika Pal, reviewed the Waqf Amendment Bill and submitted its report on February 13, which was later approved by the Union Cabinet on February 19.
However, Opposition MPs on the panel expressed discontent, alleging that their dissent notes were omitted from the report without their knowledge and that all 44 of their proposed amendments had been rejected. In contrast, the committee accepted 14 changes put forward by NDA MPs.
The Bill was initially introduced in Parliament last year, triggering strong protests from the Opposition before being referred to the committee for scrutiny.