No Waqf Bill this winter session, JPC to seek extension
The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, will seek an extension to submit its report. The original deadline was due on November 29 (Friday). However, after a heated meeting on Wednesday during which opposition members staged a brief walkout, the JPC now hopes to extend the deadline till the last day of the next Budget Session.
Opposition criticizes JPC for inadequate stakeholder consultation
Opposition leaders have slammed the JPC for failing to consult all stakeholders on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MP Asaduddin Owaisi and Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh both raised concerns over many state boards being left unheard. "There are many stakeholders we want to be heard," Owaisi said. Singh said submitting a report without hearing all stakeholders would be inappropriate.
JPC's extensive stakeholder meetings and future plans
Despite the criticism, the JPC has held 29 meetings with over 147 delegations in three months. However, opposition members continue to argue that important stakeholders remain unheard. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi had alleged procedural bias in the committee's operations. To quell these concerns, the JPC intends to visit several states to meet more stakeholders before finalizing its report.
Government's stance on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill
The government is eager to push the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which suggests reforms like digitization and stricter audits of Waqf boards. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has slammed the previous appeasement policies in the name of Waqf boards, saying there is no constitutional provision for them. He had blamed Congress for forming such entities for vote bank politics.
