Waqf Amendment Bill to Be Discussed for 8 Hours; Opposition Stands Against It
The bill include mandate inclusion of women and two non-Muslim members in Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards, according to reports.
Waqf Amendment Bill to Be Discussed for 8 Hours; Opposition Stands Against It, latest updates: The contentious Waqf Amendment Bill is set to be discussed in the Lok Sabha for eight hours on Wednesday. The bill proposes 40 amendments to the Waqf Act, 1995, including renaming it to the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act, 1995.
Currently, Waqf Boards manage 8.7 lakh properties spanning 9.4 lakh acres across the country, making them the third-largest landowners in India after the Armed Forces and Indian Railways, according to a Hindustan Times report.
Both the BJP-led NDA and the Opposition have issued whips for all their MPs to be present in the House on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Lok Sabha, chaired by Speaker Om Birla and comprising leaders from all major parties, approved an eight-hour debate on the bill. However, the Congress requested 12 hours for discussion, seeking to address additional issues, including the situation in Manipur.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters that the debate duration could be extended if the House on Wednesday decides to do so, implying flexibility in the allotted time.
The INDIA Bloc held a meeting yesterday and confirmed its opposition to the bill. Speaking to ANI, Congress leader K.C. Venugopal said, “He further stated, “We are going to oppose this bill,” adding that this decision was made unanimously by the INDIA Bloc. He also urged other like-minded parties to vote against the bill.”
What is Waqf Act 1995?
The Waqf Act, 1995 the Waqf Act, 1995 is a law enacted by the Indian Parliament to regulate and manage waqf properties in the country. A waqf is a permanent dedication of property (usually for religious, charitable, or pious purposes) under Islamic law. The Act was introduced to ensure better administration and prevent the misuse of waqf properties.
The key provisions of the Waqf Act, 1995 are establishment of waqf boards in each state and union territory, regular survey of waqf properties, registration of waqfs properties with respective waqf boards, protection from encroachment or misuse of properties, judicial tribunal for disputes related to waqf in each state and the act gives the waqf boards authority to manage, develop, and supervise waqf properties.
What is Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024?
The waqf amendment bill introduced in the lower house of the parliament on August 8, 2024 proposes to make changes in the Waqf Act 1995 to improve the administration and management of Waqqf management of waqf properties in India and updating the definitions of Waqf, improving the registration process and increasing the role technology managing and maintaining Waqf records, according to media reports.
The bill introduced last year was adopted, reportedly, with some changes by a joint Parliamentary Committee and the report of the committee was presented in the parliament during the Budget session.
Provisions of the bill include mandate inclusion of women and two non-Muslim members in Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards, according to reports.
The bill empowers the state government to nominate members to the waqf boards and these nominees do not have to from Muslims which changes the previous composition critrea.
Under the original Waqf Act, 1995, the Survey Commissioner of Waqf was responsible for conducting surveys of all waqf properties in a state or union territory. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 proposes transferring this responsibility from the Survey Commissioner to the District Collector or an officer not below the rank of Deputy Collector, who is a government-appointed administrative official.
Under the Waqf Act, 1995, State Waqf Boards had the authority to inquire, identify, and declare a property as waqf. However, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, removes this power from the Waqf Board.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 introduces a key provision stating that if any government-owned land or property has been previously identified as waqf property, it will no longer be considered waqf.
It also mandates inclusion of at least one member each from Shia, Sunni, and Backward Classes of Muslims.
In the 2024 Indian general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies secured a total of 293 seats, while the INDIA Bloc, an alliance of opposition parties including the INC, collectively won 234 seats. With a clear majority, the ruling coalition is likely to pass the bill today.