Poonam Nath

Rajya Sabha accepts Waqf Bill despite protests from the opposition

Digital Desk: Shortly after the Joint Parliamentary Committee's report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was presented to the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, it was approved despite a fierce protest from the Opposition INDIA group.

However, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar had to temporarily halt the house proceedings due to fierce opposition party demonstrations.

Medha Kulkarni, a Rajya Sabha MP, introduced the Waqf Bill, which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) says will simplify the registration of Waqf properties.

Congress Chief and Rajya Sabha Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his severe discontent with the Waqf Bill report, stating that the opposition will not tolerate "fake reports" that "bulldoze our views."

The Kharge also insisted that the report be returned to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for a new presentation.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, however, refuted Kharge's assertions, claiming that the dissenting notes were part of the report's addendum and accusing the opposition of deceiving the House. "The report has not been removed or deleted... "The opposition is bringing up a pointless issue," he stated.

The Bill includes some significant updates, such as mandating at least two non-Muslim members on state Waqf boards and including a government official in determining whether a property is Waqf property or not.

The Waqf Bill seeks to modify the way Waqf boards are handled. These bodies are in charge of managing properties contributed by the Muslim community for religious and charitable purposes.

Following months of discussion, the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) presented its final report to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on January 30.

The new draft, which included 14 modifications proposed by ruling NDA members, was adopted, while the opposition's ideas were rejected.