Kumar Bahukhandi
New Delhi:The controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 is unlikely to be introduced in the current winter session of the Parliament as the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) scrutinising the Bill is likely to move for an extension. The decision comes in the wake of a stormy meet of the panel marked by a brief walkout of the Opposition members before a unanimous decision was taken to seek more time to finalise its report.
Waqf JPC chairman Jagdambika Pal and BJP MP Dilip Saikia are likely to move the motion in Parliament on Thursday November 28 , 2024 to seek more time for the presentation of the JPC report up to the last day of the Budget Session, 2025.
The JPC meeting on Wednesday November 27 , 2024 saw an uproar as its members from the Opposition parties demanded extension in the tenure of the panel so all the parties involved in the issue would be heard. “Today, (BJP MP) Nishikant Dubey and other members pointed out that we have to invite and hear some other stakeholders, state officials… So, we feel that we should extension…I will consider this and then we will bring a resolution before Lok Sabha tomorrow or the day after,” said
The Opposition members stormed out of the meeting of the JPC scrutinising the Bill alleging that its proceedings had become a mockery. They protested against the conduct of Pal and alleged that he was keen to wrap up its proceedings by the November 29 , 2024 deadline without completing due process.
They, however, returned to attend the meeting after an hour amid indications that the committee chairperson would seek an extension in its term. “Chairman accepted to move a motion tomorrow in the House that the term of the JPC will be extended for the next Budget session,” said DMK MP and Waqf JPC member A. Raja.
Waqf (Amendment) Bill which was introduced in Lok Sabha on 8th August was referred to a JPC after a heated debate. The committee was to submit its report to the Lok Sabha by the last day of the first week of the winter session, which was November 29.
Pal said that in the meeting, members posed questions to ministry of minority affairs. “The panel had a few questions about the 123 properties of government of India in New Delhi dating back to 1911…Later, the Waqf Board laid its claim on those properties. So, for clarification on that ministry of urban development and DDA will be called, similarly, Odisha, UP, MP, Rajasthan, Bihar – a total of six states – where government properties are being claimed by the Waqf. So, we asked the ministry’s secretary that we have not received the response on this…So, we will also have to call state’s chief secretaries or secretaries of minority affairs in states,” he added.
