Govt likely to table Waqf Bill in House on April 2
The Union government may bring The Waqf (Amendments) Bill for passage in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday in the last week of the budget session amid a stiff resistance from the Opposition parties.
The Union government may bring The Waqf (Amendments) Bill for passage in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday in the last week of the budget session amid a stiff resistance of the Opposition parties.
Urging lawmakers to participate in the discussion on the Bill, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said: “It is my special appeal to everybody, when we are preparing to bring Bill, they must participate in the debate and discussions.”
The Lok Sabha’s Business Advisory Committee (BAC) –– the Speaker Om Birla-led panel that decides weekly agenda of the Lower House –– is likely to meet on Tuesday and may discuss the schedule of the Waqf bill debate.
With four days left in the session, the government plans to pass a few more bills and has listed The Coastal Shipping Bill and The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024 in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
In the Rajya Sabha, the government has listed The Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, 2025 and The “Tribhuvan” Sahkari University Bill, 2025 for passage on Tuesday.
But all eyes are on the Waqf amendment bill.
Union minister Kiren Rijiu said the lies that are being spread about the bill are similar to the fear that was created among Muslims about the Citizenship Amendment Act. He said “lies are being spread” about the Waqf bill and “misleading announcements are being broadcast through loudspeakers.”
The controversial bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in August. The bill, which proposes 40 amendments to the provisions of the Waqf Act, has suggested modifications such as ensuring representation for Muslim women and non-Muslims in the Waqf boards. It also proposes sweeping changes in the regulation and governance of India’s waqf boards, which manage Islamic charitable endowments.
The government argued that the bill will modernise an archaic and complex system in line with recommendations of the 2006 Rajinder Sachar Committee. But the Opposition demanded greater scrutiny for the bill, alleging that it would hurt Muslim communities.
The Waqf bill had been adopted with several amendments by a joint parliamentary committee and the JPC report was presented in Parliament during the Budget session. The panel had suggested to changing the name of the Waqf bill to the “Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act.”
The minister said wide consultations were carried out by the JPC, but a section of people are creating fear that the government will snatch “ land, burial grounds and mosques”.
“They are spreading lies like it was done ahead of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)...CAA has been in place for a year now, has any Muslim lost their citizenship?” he asked?
According to functionaries, the government didn’t want to bring the bill last week due to Eid celebrations on Monday but many bring it in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and may try to pass it in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
Chairman of the All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council (AISSC), Syed Naseruddin Chishty on Monday expressed support for reforming the Waqf Board, urging the Muslim community to not be swayed by “emotional provocative statements.”
A key organisation of Catholic Bishops too, on Monday came out in support of the amendments to the Central Waqf Act.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) also urged political parties to adopt an unbiased and constructive approach to the issue.
One of the amendments suggested by JPC, tabled by BJP’s Nishikant Dubey, offered major relief to many existing Waqf properties. It said that the provision of “Waqf by user” will remain applicable for current properties and could not be questioned on the grounds of the new law scrapping this. “Waqf by user” refers to a category where a property is acknowledged as waqf (an endowment) because it has been used for religious activities for some time, despite there being no official declaration or registration as waqf.
The opposition has slammed the adoption of the Bill, which does not include a single amendment moved by these parties.
In its recommendations on the issue of dealing with wrongful declaration of waqf, the committee has accepted the recommendation that any government property identified as or declared as waqf property, shall not be deemed to be a waqf property.
Pointing out that there has been strong objection to the proposal of delegating the power of determining whether a property is a waqf property or government property to the Collector, the committee has said in such a scenario the decision of appointing an official to conduct an inquiry in cases of wrongful claims on government property by Waqf Board should be left to the state government.
As the government prepares to bring the bill , the Congress has dubbed the legislation as “an assault on the Constitution of India itself” and alleged that it attempts to “damage the centuries-old bonds of social harmony in our uniquely multi-religious society.”
