A Joint Parliamentary Committee cleared the Waqf Amendment Bill Monday afternoon with 14 changes to the draft tabled in the House in August last year. Overall 44 changes had been proposed, including several by opposition MPs, to the committee led by the ruling BJP’s Jagadambika Pal.
However, changes proposed by the opposition were rejected.
Voting to confirm acceptance of the 14 changes will take place January 29, and the final report will be submitted by January 31, as per reports. The committee had originally been asked to file the report by November 29 but that deadline was extended to February 13, the final day of the Budget Session.
“…44 amendments were discussed. In detailed discussions (spread) over six months, we sought amendments from all members. This was our final meeting… 14 were accepted by the committee on the basis of a majority (vote). Opposition also suggested amendments… each was put to a vote. There were 10 votes supporting theirs (suggested amendments) and 16 votes opposing it…” Mr Pal said.
The committee set up to study the amendments has had several hearings but many have ended in chaos after opposition MPs accused the Chair of bias towards the ruling party.
Last week opposition MPs wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to voice their concerns, saying Mr Pal was trying to “steamroll” the Waqf Amendment Bill through, with one eye on the Feb 5 Delhi election.
The appeal came after 10 opposition MPs were suspended; they, and their colleagues, complained that they were not being given time to study the suggested changes.
The suspended MPs included the Trinamool Congress’ Kalyan Banerjee and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen boss Asaduddin Owaisi, both of whom are fierce critics of the Waqf Amendment Bill.
In October, for example, Mr Banerjee had a ‘Hulk’ moment, smashing a glass bottle on the table and throwing it at Mr Pal. He later explained his actions, saying another BJP MP, ex-Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay flung verbal abuses at his family and provoked that strong reaction.
The Waqf Amendment Bill proposes numerous changes to the way Waqf boards are administered, including nominating non-Muslim and (at least two) women members.
Also, the central Waqf Council must (if the amendments are passed) include a union minister and three MPs, as also two ex-judges, four people of ‘national repute’, and senior government officials, none of whom need be from the Islamic faith.
Further, under the new rules the Waqf Council can’t claim land.
Other proposed changes are to limit donations from Muslims who have been practicing their faith for at least five years (a provision that triggered a row over the term ‘practicing Muslim’.
The idea is to ’empower’ Muslim women and children who “suffered” under the old law. However, critics, including opposition leaders like the Congress’ KC Venugopal, have said it constitutes a “direct attack on freedom of religion”.
Mr Owaisi and the DMK’s Kanimozhi, meanwhile, have argued it violates multiple sections of the Constitution, including Article 15 (the right to practice a religion of one’s choice) and Article 30 (the right to minority communities to establish and administer their educational institutions).
