The report of the joint committee of Parliament examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill will be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The Committee had submitted the report to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday.
Panel chairman Jagdambika Pal and member Sanjay Jaiswal will table the report, both Hindi and English, at the lower house, according to the bulletin issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat. The bill will be introduced and taken up for discussion after that.
The panel on Wednesday adopted by a majority vote its report that contained changes suggested by members of the ruling BJP.
The tabling also comes amid claims by opposition leaders that their dissent notes to the report were censored or removed without their consent. Besides AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain has claimed that sections of his dissent note on the bill were redacted without his knowledge.
While the panel approved 14 amendments proposed by MPs of the BJP and its allies, 44 suggested by the Opposition were rejected.
While the BJP claims the Bill aims at bringing modernity, transparency and accountability in the management of Waqf properties, the Opposition termed it an attack on the constitutional rights of the Muslim community and interference in the functioning of Waqf boards.
The 655-page report suggests addressing concerns over the omission of Waqf-by-user, considering the long-term links between the tenants’ associations and Waqf properties and seeks a law to check the declaration of tribal lands as Waqf properties. The committee has also recommended that the Ministry of Minority Affairs consider the concerns of Waqf tenants across the country and introduce laws that allow for long-term leases to keep their legitimate rights safe.
