New Delhi, February 13: Congress MP Imran Masood has strongly criticized the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, calling it an attack on constitutional rights and a means to suppress the rights of minorities in India. He also expressed concerns over the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report related to the bill, accusing the government of sidelining dissenting views from the opposition.
Speaking to ANI, Masood said, “The Waqf Bill is being tabled now. It is an attack on the rights provided to us in the Constitution. The Waqf Bill is an example of suppressing the rights of minorities. They (the government) have not included our dissent notes. We have put forward our views, but we don’t know what they have done. They are running their agenda by targeting minorities in the nation.”
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, which seeks to amend existing provisions regarding Waqf properties, has sparked significant controversy, particularly from opposition parties who feel that the bill will marginalize minority communities and harm their interests. The report from the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the bill was presented in Lok Sabha before being tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
The JPC, headed by Jagdambika Pal, presented its report in the Lok Sabha, accompanied by BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal. The committee also laid the record of evidence presented before the panel regarding the bill. Jagdambika Pal had earlier announced that the report was finalized after significant discussions, including the adoption of 25 amendments across 14 sections and clauses. These amendments sought to improve the bill’s provisions, with particular emphasis on ensuring that the benefits of Waqf properties reach marginalized groups, such as the poor, women, and orphans.
Jagdambika Pal explained, “For the first time, we have included a section stating that the benefits of Waqf should go to the marginalized, poor, women, and orphans.”
However, opposition parties, including Congress, have raised concerns over the transparency of the process, claiming that their dissenting opinions were excluded from the final report. In the Rajya Sabha, the bill will be presented by Medha Vishram Kulkarni and Gulam Ali.