New Delhi [India]: Amidst mounting criticism over the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal responded on Monday, claiming that the opposition is pushing a specific agenda. He noted that the opposition had submitted a dissent note covering 281 pages of the total 428-page report.
Speaking to the media, Pal emphasized that the final report had been prepared after considering the inputs from all witnesses involved. “Just like they (Opposition) tried to mislead the JPC by saying that if this bill is passed, all Waqf properties will be taken away, similarly, they are trying to push a certain agenda across the country and are attempting appeasement. In the continuous JPC meetings, we called everyone as witnesses, whether it was the Waqf Board, the Minority Commission, government officials, stakeholders, or Islamic scholars – we listened to all of them. We have prepared a 428-page report, which we have submitted to the Speaker,” he said.
Pal added that during the committee’s proceedings, there were requests for clause-by-clause amendments from various members, including Owaisi Sahib and Naseer Hussain, and that a vote was held on those amendments. The changes were incorporated based on the majority vote.
“The opposition has submitted a dissent note on 281 pages out of the 428-page report. When we present the report in the House, the dissent notes of all these members will be included as well. Now, what more could be done in a parliamentary democracy?” said the JPC Chairman.
When asked about the timeline for presenting the report in the House, Pal stated, “When the Speaker proposes the agenda and the Business Advisory Committee agrees, we will table it.”
The JPC report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 is not expected to be tabled in the House on Monday, according to the list of parliamentary business. The report was submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on January 30, 2025.
The JPC on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill had adopted the draft report and the amended revised bill on January 29, but opposition leaders had submitted dissent notes on the report. Earlier, the JPC had cleared the Waqf Bill of 1995 with 25 amendments across 14 clauses and sections.
The Waqf Act of 1995, which governs Waqf properties, has faced longstanding criticism over issues like mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeks to address these issues with reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal measures to reclaim illegally occupied properties.