Saurabh Mukherjee
On August 9, during the final day of the Budget session, Parliament announced the formation of a 31-member joint committee to review the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. However, it remains unclear whether the committee will focus solely on the content of the Bill or also address broader issues, such as encroachments on Waqf properties and their management.
The committee, which includes 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha, is tasked with examining the amendment bill and is expected to present its report during the first week of the winter session of Parliament. But as of now the specific terms of reference for the committee are not yet clear.
Speaking to The Hindu, former Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha P. D. T. Acharya questioned the Union government's approach to forming a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). He suggested that a joint select committee would have been more appropriate for the situation and emphasized that a JPC should have a clear agenda and well-defined terms of reference.
“For Bills, there is a specific provision in the rulebook for forming joint select committees, where Ministers can also be members. In the past, there have been several such committees where Ministers were members. Such a joint select committee would have the power to amend a Bill as the government is represented in it. It seems that this government has not understood the difference between a JPC and a joint select committee. A joint select committee would have been ideal for the Waqf Bill,” told The Hindu.
K. Rahman Khan, former Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and former Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf Boards, while speaking to The Hindu, expressed hope that the Centre would announce the committee’s terms of reference soon.
“They have not provided any details on what the panel’s priorities will be, aside from the Bill. Procedurally, the Bill should have been referred to a standing committee. The committees are not yet formed, which is probably why the Centre has created a joint panel,” The Hindu quoted Khan as saying.
On August 8, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Lok Sabha. The bill proposes approximately 40 amendments to the existing Waqf Act, 1995 (as amended in 2013).
Following an intense debate where several INDIA Bloc MPs labelled the Bill as ‘divisive’, ‘anti-Muslim’, and ‘unconstitutional’, the House finally agreed to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for further scrutiny.
The Bill proposes significant changes to the 1995 Waqf Act, including the inclusion of Muslim women on Waqf boards and the requirement for verification of land before a board designates it as Waqf property.
One of the most controversial aspects of the bill is the inclusion of non-Muslims in the central Waqf council, state Waqf boards, and Waqf tribunals. The bill proposes a more “broad-based” composition for these bodies, featuring representation from various Muslim communities as well as non-Muslims.
The bill also seeks to redefine "Waqf" claiming to ensure that only lawful property owners who have practiced Islam for at least five years can create Waqf through formal deeds.
The committee, which includes 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha, is tasked with examining the amendment bill and is expected to present its report during the first week of the winter session of Parliament. But as of now the specific terms of reference for the committee are not yet clear.
Speaking to The Hindu, former Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha P. D. T. Acharya questioned the Union government's approach to forming a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). He suggested that a joint select committee would have been more appropriate for the situation and emphasized that a JPC should have a clear agenda and well-defined terms of reference.
“For Bills, there is a specific provision in the rulebook for forming joint select committees, where Ministers can also be members. In the past, there have been several such committees where Ministers were members. Such a joint select committee would have the power to amend a Bill as the government is represented in it. It seems that this government has not understood the difference between a JPC and a joint select committee. A joint select committee would have been ideal for the Waqf Bill,” told The Hindu.
K. Rahman Khan, former Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and former Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf Boards, while speaking to The Hindu, expressed hope that the Centre would announce the committee’s terms of reference soon.
“They have not provided any details on what the panel’s priorities will be, aside from the Bill. Procedurally, the Bill should have been referred to a standing committee. The committees are not yet formed, which is probably why the Centre has created a joint panel,” The Hindu quoted Khan as saying.
On August 8, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Lok Sabha. The bill proposes approximately 40 amendments to the existing Waqf Act, 1995 (as amended in 2013).
Following an intense debate where several INDIA Bloc MPs labelled the Bill as ‘divisive’, ‘anti-Muslim’, and ‘unconstitutional’, the House finally agreed to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for further scrutiny.
The Bill proposes significant changes to the 1995 Waqf Act, including the inclusion of Muslim women on Waqf boards and the requirement for verification of land before a board designates it as Waqf property.
One of the most controversial aspects of the bill is the inclusion of non-Muslims in the central Waqf council, state Waqf boards, and Waqf tribunals. The bill proposes a more “broad-based” composition for these bodies, featuring representation from various Muslim communities as well as non-Muslims.
The bill also seeks to redefine "Waqf" claiming to ensure that only lawful property owners who have practiced Islam for at least five years can create Waqf through formal deeds.
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