Waqf Amendment Bill 2024: Parliament's Joint Committee (PAC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill met in Delhi on Thursday, August 22, where officials from the Minority Affairs and Law Ministries are briefing the members about the various amendments proposed in the draft law. Waqf (Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 8 and referred to a joint committee of Parliament after a heated debate between the Treasury bench and the Opposition.
While the Opposition called the proposed law a 'targeting of Muslims' and an 'attack on the Constitution', the government asserted it does not intend to interfere with the functioning of mosques. The 31-member PAC, headed by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, was then tasked by the Lok Sabha to scrutinise the contentious bill, which has drawn protests from the opposition parties and Muslim organisations.
What's On PAC Agenda?
Today, the representatives from the Minority Affairs Ministry are expected to brief the committee on the "amendments proposed on the Bill". The JPC will discuss the bill threadbare and also the concerns over it, news agency PTI reported Pal as saying ahead of the meeting, adding that the committee will hear the voices of different stakeholders.
"We will discuss all the 44 amendments and bring a good and comprehensive Bill by the next session," he said, adding that the committee will call various Muslim bodies representing different sects to hear their views.
About Waqf Bill
The Bill is the first major initiative from the BJP-led NDA government aimed at reforming the registration process for Waqf properties through a centralised portal. It proposes several reforms, including establishing a Central Waqf Council alongside State Waqf Boards with representation to Muslim women and non-Muslim representatives.
A contentious provision of the Bill is the proposal to designate the district collector as the primary authority in determining whether a property is classified as Waqf or government land.