Waqf Bill tabled in Lok Sabha; debate begins
What's the story
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seeks to amend existing laws on the administration of Waqf properties, has been tabled in Lok Sabha by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
After its introduction, an exhaustive eight-hour debate will be held.
Introducing the Bill, Rijiju said, "I want to say...the discussion that has taken place on the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Joint Committee of both the Houses has never been done in the parliamentary history. I thank and congratulate all."
Party directive
BJP issues whip for party MPs to attend debate
He said a total of 284 delegations from state holders of different communities have presented their views and suggestions before the committee.
"Waqf boards of 25 state governments and union territories have also presented their submissions," he said.
Ahead of the session, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) issued a whip, asking all party MPs to attend.
Seven BJP MPs are likely to speak, including Jagdambika Pal, who chaired the Joint Parliamentary Committee; Ravi Shankar Prasad, Anurag Thakur; and Nishikant Dubey.
Legislative focus
Bill aims to restructure governance of Waqf boards
Similarly, the opposition has also issued a whip to its MPs.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill aims to revamp the governance of Waqf boards that manage properties set aside for religious and charitable purposes among the Muslim community.
The bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in August 2024 and was sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
The JPC cleared 14 amendments while rejecting 44 proposed by opposition MPs, who have alleged that the government is rushing ahead with the bill.
Political tension
Rijiju accuses political parties of creating unrest
Prior to the bill's introduction, Rijiju alleged some political parties and organizations were attempting to create unrest and mislead people about its provisions.
He urged them not to lie about the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and suggested they read it properly.
"There are some groups, especially people from political parties, trying to mislead people over the Waqf Amendment Bill," he said.
Numbers
NDA has 293 members
The BJP-led NDA is confident of passing the bill due to its majority in Lok Sabha.
The current NDA has 293 members, with BJP having 240 in the 543-member Lok Sabha.
Its key partners, the TDP and JDU, have 16 and 12 MPs, respectively. With its partners' numbers, the NDA is anticipated to receive 295 votes, comfortably above the majority mark of 272.
The Congress and its allies have approximately 234 votes.