New Delhi:

The Waqf Amendment Bill has sparked intense opposition from the All India Shia Personal Law Board, with General Secretary Maulana Yasoob Abbas vehemently criticising the proposed legislation on Thursday.

Mr Abbas termed the bill as “not right” and announced that the Board would formally oppose it and vowed to take the matter to the Supreme Court if necessary, indicating the Board’s determination to challenge the bill.

To mobilize support and chart a course of action, Mr Abbas plans to convene a meeting with the executive board of the All India Shia Personal Law Board.

“The Waqf Amendment Bill is not right. Through the All India Shia Personal Law Board, we are opposing this bill. I will soon hold a meeting of the executive board of the All India Shia Personal Law Board, and if necessary, we will approach the Supreme Court,” he said.

The controversy surrounding the Waqf Amendment Bill has been brewing for some time, with various stakeholders expressing concerns over its provisions. The bill aims to amend the Waqf Act, which governs the management of Waqf properties across India.

Meanwhile, the Waqf Amendment Bill was tabled in both houses of Parliament but was later adjourned to March 10.

The JPC report on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 was also tabled in the two Houses of Parliament.

While BJP member Jagdambika Pal, who was JPC Chairperson, tabled the report in Lok Sabha, party MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni tabled it in the Rajya Sabha.

They also tabled a copy of the record of evidence given before the panel on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

With opposition members protesting in the Lok Sabha that all their dissent notes had not been included, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the government would have no opposition if the opposition notes were added to the report.

In response to the opposition claims, Home Minister Amit Shah said that the government would have no opposition if the opposition’s dissent notes were added to the JPC report.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 addresses these challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A massive row erupted in Parliament today after several Opposition MPs alleged that parts of their dissent notes had been deleted from a Joint Parliamentary Committee’s report on the Waqf Amendment Bill. The government trashed the allegation and said no dissent note had been deleted, but stressed that the panel’s chairman has the discretion to remove sections that cast aspersions on the committee.

Eventually, following a meeting between Opposition MPs, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, a breakthrough was reached and it was decided that the dissent notes of Opposition members would be included in the JPC’s draft report in their original form.

Speaking on the issue in Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Many members have given their dissent note. Removing them from proceedings and keeping only the majority view is condemnable and anti-democracy.”

Responding to the Opposition’s charge, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said there is no deletion. “Don’t mislead the House, Opposition parties are making an unnecessary issue, the allegation is false, JPC conducted all proceedings, no rule was violated,” he said.

Mr Rijiju later told the media that as per the rule, statements that “amount to casting aspersions” on the committee can be deleted or removed by the chairman.

After the Opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha walked out in protest, Leader of the House JP Nadda said the Opposition did not want to discuss the issue, but score political points. “The Parliamentary Affairs Minister has said nothing has been deleted. The Opposition has acted very irresponsibly. This is the politics of appeasement. The biggest question in question hour is that some people are trying to fight against the Indian State,” he said.

Earlier, Rajya Sabha witnessed chaotic scenes as three MPs — Trinamool’s Samirul Islam and Nadimul Haque and DMK’s MM Abdulla — entered the Well. Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has warned them of action.

At one point, after Mr Rijiju’s clarification, an Opposition MP questioned, “How does the minister know?” This drew a sharp response from the treasury benches, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman describing it as an “outrageous” remark. Mr Rijiju added that besides being the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, he is the Minority Affairs Minister and the Waqf legislation is linked to his ministry. 

New Delhi:

The budget session of the Parliament has begun with President Droupadi Murmu addressing the joint sitting of the two Houses. It will be followed by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabling the Economic Survey in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

New Delhi:

A joint parliamentary committee has voted in favour of 14 alterations to the draft version of the Waqf Amendment Bill, which had been tabled in the Lok Sabha in August last year and seeks to make 44 contentious changes to the way Muslim charitable properties are managed in the country.

The 14 alternations include distinguishing between the mandatory two non-Muslim members – as specified in the original draft of the bill – and nominated ex-officio members (Muslim or non-Muslim).

This means waqf councils, whether at state or pan-India levels, will have at least two, and possibly more (if the nominated ex-officio members are also not Muslim) members not from the Islamic faith.

Another key change is directing an officer nominated by the concerned state to determine if a property is ‘waqf’. In the original draft this decision was left to the District Collector.

A third change is establishing that the law will not apply retrospectively, so long as the property in question is already registered. To this point, Congress leader and JPC member Imran Masood raised a red flag, noting an estimated 90 per cent of waqf properties are not, in fact, registered.

READ | Waqf Amendment Bill Cleared By JPC, 14 Amendments Approved

These changes, and the 11 others, were proposed by members from the ruling BJP, including Lok Sabha MPs Nishikant Dubey, Tejasvi Surya and Aparajita Sarangi.

Among the other 11 is a change – put forward by Mr Surya – specifying that anybody wishing to donate land must “show or demonstrate that she/he is practicing Islam for at least five years” and also acknowledge “…there is no contrivance involved in the dedication of such property”.

Overall, MPs from the ruling party and those allied to it made 23 proposals to alter the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. MPs from the opposition made 44 proposals, none of which were accepted.

NDTV Explains | Women, Non-Muslims, Council Can’t Claim Land: Waqf Changes

But the opposition’s proposals were rejected by a 10:16 vote after committee members voted on party lines; the JPC has 16 MPs from the BJP or allied parties and only 10 from the opposition.

Voting to confirm acceptance of the 14 changes will take place January 29, and the final report will be submitted by January 31, sources told NDTV.

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.

Changes to the Waqf laws, sources told NDTV earlier, are meant to empower Muslim women who “suffered” under the old law. However, critics, including Trinamool leader Kalyan Banerjee, and AIMIM boss Asaduddin Owaisi (both JPC members), have called it a “direct attack on freedom of religion”.

READ | Opposition Targets Non-Muslims Provision In “Draconian” Waqf Bill

Mr Owaisi and the DMK’s Kanimozhi, meanwhile, also 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).

The 1995 Wakf Act was passed to regulate ‘auqaf’ (assets donated and notified as Waqf) by a ‘wakif’ (the person who dedicates the property). The legislation was last amended in 2013.

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New Delhi:

A parliamentary panel examining the Waqf Amendment Bill expressed dissatisfaction on Thursday over the responses given by Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh about the status of Waqf properties in their respective states.

BJP member Jagdambika Pal, chairman of the Joint Committee on Waqf Amendment Bill, said the panel has given the representatives of the three states a fortnight to furnish their responses and would call them again to appear before it if required.

The committee has sought details about the Waqf properties in states, including their registration with the government, listing of the properties by their character – waqf by user or waqf by deed, the income generated by such properties and whether their nature can be changed.

Mr Pal said the committee will also tour Kolkata, Patna and Lucknow between January 18 and 20 to interact with various stakeholders there.

He said some members have also expressed their desire to visit Jammu and Kashmir and a decision in this regard will be taken after consulting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

“The responses given by the delegations of the three states were not satisfactory, we have given them 15 days time to furnish the responses and will call them again if required,” he said.

Mr Pal said these states have not furnished the responses in the format specified by the Department of Minority Affairs.

Delhi’s Food and Supply Minister Imran Hussain is scheduled to address the committee on Friday, followed by the recording of evidence by the representatives of the Delhi government.

The deposition of officials from the Congress-led Karnataka government comes in the wake of a row over claims by BJP leaders that over 1500 acres of land belonging to farmers in the state were being taken over by the Waqf board.

Mr Pal had visited Karnataka and interacted with the farmers who had received notices from the state government regarding encroachment over properties belonging to the Waqf Board.

The committee had also written to state governments seeking details of Waqf properties occupied by them in an unauthorised manner as per the Sachar panel report.

The UPA government constituted the Sachar Committee in 2005 to study the social, economic and educational status of the Muslim community in India.

The parliamentary panel was constituted on August 8, soon after the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha.

Opposition parties have stridently criticised the amendments proposed by the bill in the existing Waqf Act, alleging that they violate the religious rights of Muslims. The ruling BJP has asserted that the amendments will bring transparency in the functioning of the waqf boards and make them accountable.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader, speaking in Lok Sabha yesterday, questioned the calls to survey or demolish some mosques across the country amid debates over the Places of Worship Act. Speaking during a debate on 75 years of the Constitution of India, the Hyderabad MP also accused the Centre of trying to “snatch away” Waqf properties.

“Today, I am being asked if there was a mosque 500 years ago… If I dig up this Parliament and something will be found, will it become mine?” Mr Owaisi said.

His remarks came days after the Supreme Court paused the ongoing surveys of places of worship, including mosques.

In his nearly 9-minute speech, he also expressed his concern over the situation of minorities.

“What Babasaheb said 75 years ago remains absolutely true even today – no one wants the minority to share power,” the 55-year-old leader said.

“Let me explain the measure of success of parliamentary democracy. Articles 25, 26, 29, 30, 14, and 21-these fundamental rights form the foundation. By focusing on these, I will illustrate whether justice has truly been served to the weaker sections of society,” he said, citing incidents of harassment against Muslims.

AIMIM अध्यक्ष बैरिस्टर @asadowaisi ने लोकसभा में “भारत के संविधान की 75 वर्षों” पर चर्चा के दौरान अपनी बात रखी। संविधान में दिए गए हुक़ूक़ भारत के मुसलमानों के लिए अधूरे रह गए हैं।#asaduddinowaisi#parliamentwintersession2024#75yearsOfConstitution#asadowaisi… pic.twitter.com/9bgmRxDTpF

— AIMIM (@aimim_national) December 14, 2024

Referring to the Waqf Amendment bill, Mr Owaisi said the goal of the central government is to “snatch away Waqf properties”.

“You want to snatch it away on the basis of your strength,” he said.

ALSO READ | ‘Those Looking For Temples Under Mosques Don’t Want Peace’: Akhilesh Yadav

The bill requires that money received by the Waqf Board must be used for the welfare of widows, divorcees, and orphans in the manner suggested by the government.

Opposition parties have alleged that the amendments proposed by the bill violate the religious rights of Muslims. The government, however, has asserted that the amendments will bring transparency to the functioning of the waqf boards and make them accountable.

“Read Article 26, it gives religious denominations, the right to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes. Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) says that Waqf has nothing to do with the Constitution. Who is teaching the PM? Make him read Article 26,” he said.

Secular Constitution Protection Forum speakers demanded TDP and Jana Sena Party (JSP) to oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill.
| Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal

The Secular Constitution Protection Forum and speakers at a meeting organised by it on Sunday (November 24, 2024) demanded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP) to oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill.

Also Read: Govt lists 15 bills including Waqf bill for winter session of Parliament

Communist Party of India (CPI) State Secretary K. Ramakrishna said that the proposed bill was a threat to democracy. It was designed to divide the voters on religious lines. The Waqf Bill contains very dangerous amendments, he said.

“The government is asserting that non-Hindus should not be serving in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) while at the same time saying Hindus should be in the Waqf Board, calling it unjust. Home Minister Amit Shah is in a tearing hurry to pass the bill before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report even reached Parliament. The government, which rejected the Sachar Committee recommendations in the past, is now claiming to implement them, raising doubts, he said.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao said that the CPI(M) had opposed the Waqf Bill both inside and outside Parliament. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s policies were not favourable to even Hindus and are creating divisions among castes. There was a need for a special law to protect the properties of temples, mosques, and churches, he said.

Former Minister Vadde Shobanadreeswara Rao stated that since the Waqf Board is under the Concurrent List, the opinions of the States must also be considered. “Why is the Election Commission not taking action against leaders who make provocative statements about giving Muslim reservations to SCs and STs?” he asked.

“It is strange for a political leader, who once admired Che Guevara to now speak about Sanatana Dharma,” he said. “Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party (JSP) president Pawan Kalyan should listen to Swami Vivekananda’s speech on religious tolerance.”

Jamat-e-Islami Hind State president Rafiq Ahmad, Ahl-e-Hadith Jamaat State president Fazlur Rahman Umri, Sunnatul Jamaat president Mukhtiyar, Majlisul Ulema president Mufti Younus, Muslim Unity Forum president Jafar Puli, Secular Constitution Protection Forum Vijayawada Urban convener Abdul Mateen, and others spoke.

New Delhi:

The fourth meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to examine the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, was held on Friday.

During the meeting, senior officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) made a presentation before the Joint Parliamentary Committee. Several stakeholders, including the Zakat Foundation of India and the Telangana Waqf Board, put forth their views, suggestions, and oral evidence on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Speaking after the JPC-led meeting, Shiv Sena (Shinde group) leader and panellist of the JPC, Naresh Mhaske told ANI that Waqf Board properties are not being used for the welfare of the poor.

“This is why the Waqf Board Amendment Bill has been brought and as members of the committee, we are deliberating on the bill, and it will soon be tabled in the Parliament for approval. ASI also attended the meeting. ASI said that many properties which have previously been conserved by the government of India, have been claimed by the Waqf without any proof,” Mr Mhaske told ANI.

Opposition parties have been continuously opposing the Waqf Board Amendment Bill in JPC meetings, leading to uproar and heated debates.

Naresh Mhaske said that the opposition only talks about opposing, and there is a competition among them to see who can speak out more against the amendment bill and deliver more speeches.

“After Owaisi delivered a speech, others followed suit to secure their vote bank and showcase their strength,” he added.

Mr Mhaske said that the Zakat Foundation and Telangana Waqf Board also shared the same view, arguing against amending the Waqf Board bill while presenting their reasoning.

According to sources, the Archaeological Survey of India gave a detailed presentation in the JPC-led meeting on issues related to Waqf in protected monuments and sites and explained the problems they are facing. They also discussed why the Waqf Board Amendment Bill is necessary.

The meeting also witnessed heated exchanges between the opposition parties and the ruling party MPs regarding various amendments to the proposed Bill.

In the third JPC-led meeting on Waqf held on Thursday, the presentation was given by ministries including the Ministry of Urban Development, Railways, and Road and Transport. The Secretary of the Housing Development Department also presented his views in the JPC meeting, stating that there is a dispute between DDA and Waqf Board over 138 properties in Delhi, out of which 123 properties are highly contentious, the sources said.

Naresh Mhaske earlier told ANI that discussions are being done on various topics regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 in the JPC and to ensure that the poor people from minority communities get benefits from the bill. “I urge the opposition to think about the interest of the country and constitution. They should stop creating confusion among the people,” he added.

The Waqf Act 1995 empowers the Waqf Board to declare any property or building as Waqf property in the name of charity. According to sources, using this authority, the Waqf Board has issued notifications to declare protected monuments as Waqf properties, resulting in conflicts with the rights granted under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958.

The sources claim that the Waqf Board restricts the Archaeological Survey of India from performing regular conservation and maintenance work at these protected monuments. There are several instances where Waqf authorities have made changes to the original structure of protected monuments, affecting their authenticity and integrity. Dual authority over monuments of national importance often leads to administrative issues.

According to sources, ASI in their presentation mentioned that representative or committee members of Waqf sometimes make unilateral decisions that conflict with policies. In some cases, ASI employees are restricted from entering certain parts of the monument, citing confidentiality. Waqf authorities sometimes claim ownership of the monument, leading to management issues.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Opposition’s ongoing objections about “unparliamentary” language provided some lighter moments in parliament today amid the acrimonious discussion of the Waqf Amendment Bill. This time, Union minister Kiren Rijiju averted a pitfall, with some ‘help’ from senior cabinet colleague Amit Shah. The Minister for Minority Affairs was responding to the debate on the bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha today amid a barrage of Opposition criticism.

Explaining why the government thought it fit to go ahead with the bill, he spoke of a Muslim woman from Uttar Pradesh, directing a jibe at Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav.

“Bushra Fathima… You were probably the Chief Minister then. Didn’t anyone inform you? She is having such a difficult time trying to survive with her children. But if there is no change in Waqf laws, once her husband dies, the property will go to the Waqf board,” Mr Rijiju said, holding her as a case study for the government’s stance that a change in the current law would help women and children.

Amid cries of “Shame, shame” from the treasury benches, he said, “Should we not intervene in such a situation? Should no step be taken to get her justice? Don’t look at this through the prism of religion”.

As the Opposition benches started sounding like an angry beehive, the minister said, “The Congress people have this problem — they ask a question and when I try to clarify matters, they say ‘Form a committee’. Don’t try to run off after raising an issue”.

Then, cutting through more comments about JPC that floated in, Mr Rijiju said, “I just explained matters. On what will be done, Mr Speaker, we will move forward with your agreement and the sense of the House. But so many members spoke today of so many things at length, so many lies (Jhooth) , creating misconceptions…”

Here, interrupted by loud protests, he corrected himself and said “untruths’ (Asathya). But that did not appear to pacify the Opposition. Amid the cacophony, Union Home Minister Amit Shah got up and declared, “Don’t say lies (jhooth). Let’s say they have not spoken the truth”. Even the Speaker was seen smiling broadly at the amendment.

A woman member, presumably from the Opposition, said, “Say untruths and misinformation”. Now Mr Rijiju grinned and in an approving tone, added, “You do know untruths were said and misconception spread”.

While building his case for the bill, Mr Rijiju had said that the law has been in the making for over 10 years and it was time to bite the bullet and do it. Even the Opposition, he said, knew it and approved of it in their hearts. “But they cannot say so because of political reasons,” he said. Citing Leader of the Opposition, Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, who had walked off, Mr Rijiju said, ‘He has given his approval before leaving,” bringing guffaws from his party colleagues.

The Waqf Amendment Bill, which envisages changes to the existing version on 44 points, has been criticised as “draconian” by the Opposition parties. Many leaders have contended that it violates fundamental rights and ideas enshrined in the Constitution, including Article 14, which guarantees equality before law, Article 15, which bars discrimination on basis of religion and Article 25, which guarantees religious freedom.

The government has defended the Bill saying it would lead to transparency and benefits to women and children by protecting their inheritance. 

The bill requires that money received by the Waqf Board must be used for the welfare of widows, divorcees, and orphans in the manner suggested by the government. 

New Delhi:

Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) ripped into the Waqf Amendment bill presented in parliament today, calling it “discriminatory” and “arbitrary”. The bill, he said, interferes with the fundamental Right to Freedom of Religion enshrined in the constitution, and would help the government take over not only Waqf properties but also those belonging to dargahs and mosques. 

The proposed law, which envisages changes to the existing version on 44 points, has already been criticised as “draconian” by the Opposition parties.

“No law limits the right of a person to will their property or dispose it. But look at what you are doing – Hindus can give complete property to daughter or son. I as a Muslim can only give one-third. I can gift but cannot give it to Allah. You are stopping me from praying. You are restraining work for Allah,” Mr Owaisi said. 

In particular he took on a provision that bars converts for less than five years from donating to Waqf. “To insist that a person has been practicing for five years — how can this be verified? Who will decide? Does a new convert have to wait for five years to donate? Isn’t that a violation of right to freedom of religion?” Mr Owaisi said in a sharp takedown of the proposed amendments.  

Such a rule, he pointed out, is not applicable to Hindus, Sikhs or people belonging to any other religions.

Mr Owaisi also alleged that the bill violates the Constitution’s Articles 14, which guarantees equality before law and Article 15, which bars  discrimination on basis of religion. The government, he added, is “not competent” to make these amendments and accused it of being divisive.

Another key provision that has had the Opposition and a section of the Muslim community up in arms is the inclusion of two non-Muslim persons, a Union Minister, three MPs and senior IAS officers in the Waqf board. The amendments also require the inclusion of women. 

The government has defended the Bill saying it would lead to transparency and benefits to women and children by protecting their inheritance. 

The bill requires that money received by the Waqf Board must be used for the welfare of widows, divorcees, and orphans in the manner suggested by the government.