Waqf Amendment Bill LIVE | JPC to be constituted for further scrutiny
Bill introduced in Lok Sabha by voice vote after a host of Opposition MPs try to prevent it, calling it against the Constitution
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will hold consultations with leaders of all political parties and constitute a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further scrutiny of the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by voice vote on Thursday (August 8). Earlier in the day, when Union minister Kiren Rijiju attempted to introduce the Bill, a host of Opposition MPs tried to prevent it. Congress MP KC Venugopal opposed its introduction, saying it was in violation of Article 26 of the Indian Constitution.
Venugopal said the government has brought a provision that would allow non-Muslims to be members of the Waqf Council. He questioned whether the government would tolerate a non-Hindu on the Ram Mandir trust.
Intended to polarise voters in assembly polls: Venugopal
He accused the government of bringing the bill at this juncture with the Haryana and Maharashtra assembly elections in mind, in order to polarise the voters. The Congress MP asserted that the Bill is an attack on the freedom of religion and also an attack on federalism as the states have not been consulted.
Venugopal also claimed that the provisions of the Bill would create ownership disputes on every Muslim/Wakf property, and that the intention behind the amendment is not noble.
Muslims being singled out: Mohibullah
The Samajwadi Party MP from Rampur, who is a cleric of Delhi’s Parliament Street mosque, Mohibullah also opposed the introduction of the Bill. He too said that the Bill was violative of Article 26 of the Constitution, and that it stood in contrast to similar laws that govern properties of other religions. He said that no other law governing religious properties of Hindus, Sikhs, or Christians allows members of a different religion to be part of their Trusts, but Muslims are being singled out.
TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay next stood up and opposed the Bill, and called it a violation of Articles 14, 25, and 26 and of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. The MP said the Bill is anti-Constitution, anti-federalism, and divisive.
(Follow more live updates below)
Live Updates
- 8 Aug 2024 8:42 AM GMT
LS doesn't have legislative competence of passing Bill: Owaisi
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi also opposes introduction of the Bill, says the Lok Sabha doesn't have the Legislative competence of passing this Bill, is in violation of various Articles of the Constitution, goes against secularism and federalism. Owaisi says Bill's provision that only a person who has been practicing Islam for five years can donate property to Waqf is unsound, asks why a new convert can't donate his property or who would decide if a person has been a practicing Muslim for five years if the person in question denies following Islam for 5 years. Owaisi says the Bill proves that the BJP is anti-Muslim. - 8 Aug 2024 8:41 AM GMT
Others who oppose introduction of Bill
CPM MP K Radhakrishnan, VCK MP Thol Thirumaavalavan and RSP MP NK Premchandran also oppose the introduction of the Bill.
- 8 Aug 2024 8:39 AM GMT
Ill-motivated with a dirty agenda: IUML MP Basheer
IUML MP ET Mohammed Basheer also opposes the introduction of the Bill, calls it ill-motivated with a dirty agenda that will spoil the secular nature of this country. Basheer says the Bill encourages encroachment on Waqf land. You are killing the Waqf system, poisoning the country, Basheer tells the government. - 8 Aug 2024 8:37 AM GMT
Refer it to Standing Committee: Supriya Sule
NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule urges the government to either withdraw the Bill or refer it to a Standing Committee of Parliament. She said it is unfortunate that the Opposition had to learn of this Bill and its provisions from the media before its copies were circulated to MPs.
Sule said the Bill has worrisome provisions whose intentions are dubious and asserted that that the Waqf Tribunal has been completely weakened. She also asserted that the Bill has excluded the states from all consultation and powers.
Kiren Rijiju said media reports could be relied upon and that he did not know how the Bill appeared in the media first.
Lok Sabha Om Birla also jumped to the government’s defence, saying the Bill was circulated to MPs yesterday and it was wrong to say the MPs were not informed. - 8 Aug 2024 8:37 AM GMT
Not anti-Muslim: JD(U)’s Rajiv Ranjan Singh
Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh “Lalan” from the JD(U) said the Bill is not anti-Muslim as being made out by the Opposition. He said this Bill doesn’t govern mosques but properties / institutions, and the government is within its powers to make laws on the matter. He asserted that the Bill’s provisions could not be compared to those laws that govern temples. Amid protests from the Opposition, he added that those talking about religious minorities were behind the massacre of Sikhs in 1984. - 8 Aug 2024 8:36 AM GMT
It will destroy what our forefathers dreamt of building: Kanimozhi
DMK MP Kanimozhi opposed the Bill’s introduction and said the government is going blatantly against the Constitution, federalism, and a religious minority. She also questioned if Muslims, Christians, or Parsis would be allowed on the trust managing the Ram Mandir. She asked how people of one religion could be allowed to make rules for governing properties of other religions.
Kanimozhi added that many old mosques are under attack today by design wherein someone files a case against a msque, a team of archaeologists is sent to the mosque, and it “suddenly finds the remains of a Hindu temple”, thereby creating dispute and division.
“This Bill will destroy what our forefathers dreamt of building,” said Kanimozhi.
