JPC to meet on Wednesday on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024

On Wednesday, the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 is scheduled to convene.

The Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, was asked to extend the term of the Joint Parliament Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024 by the opposition members of the committee.

Monday morning marked the start of the Winter Session of Parliament, however due to early disturbances, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day.

As opposition MPs requested a debate on the Gautam Adani group’s alleged bribery, the Rajya Sabha’s activities came to a standstill. The Upper House was first deferred until 11:45 am, but it was then delayed for the remainder of the day due to persistent opposition MP demands demanding a debate on the Adani issue.

Speaker Om Birla opened the Lok Sabha session by reading obituary references before calling the meeting to a close at noon. The Chair then adjourned the House for the day, and both Houses will meet again on Wednesday.
Earlier on Monday, V Muraleedharan, the head of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), attacked the opposition parties over the Waqf Amendment Bill, claiming that the Congress and the Communist parties were engaging in a “double game” on the matter.

“On the Waqf amendment measure, the Congress and Communist parties are engaging in a double-dealing strategy. The leaders of the CPM and Congress came to support the Christian and fishermen communities in Kerala and Cochin who are on an agitational route to establish their rights after the Waqf board sent them an unreasonable notice to the owners of their property. However, they challenge the legitimate authority of the people who own their land when they go to Delhi,” the BJP leader said.

Asaduddin Owaisi, the chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), referred to the measure as a “severe violation of Article 26 of the Constitution.”

Owaisi made the comments during a Monday meeting with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and other opposition MPs to discuss their demand for an extension of the parliament-committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, known as the Joint Parliament Committee (JPC).

AIMIM head Owaisi outlined the law’s shortcomings and said that rather than enhancing the Waqf Board, the government is implementing this measure to abolish it. He questioned the government’s “intention” behind this measure.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, has met many times since August 22 to examine the activities of around 195 organizations and six ministries. Nearly 95 lakh recommendations pertaining to the Waqf Bill were sent to the secretariat, and 146 organizations nationwide were given a chance to be heard.

It is important to remember that the Waqf Act of 1995, which was designed to control waqf holdings, has long been accused of corruption, poor administration, and invasion.

With the introduction of digitization, more stringent audits, transparency, and legal tools to recover unlawfully occupied assets, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 aims to implement comprehensive changes. In order to achieve the most complete reform feasible, the JPC is hosting a number of meetings to get feedback from representatives of the community, Waqf Board members, legal experts, and government officials from various states and Union Territories.