The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, adopted all amendments proposed by the ruling BJP-led NDA members on Monday and rejected every change moved by opposition members in a clause-by-clause discussion.
BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who led the Parliamentary panel, said the amendments moved by the NDA members in 14 of the Bill’s clauses have been accepted.
The amendments included changes to 14 clauses, one of which proposes omitting the provision of questioning existing Waqf properties on the grounds of ‘Waqf by user’ if the properties are being used for religious purposes.
Some amendments also include allowing state government officials, along with district magistrates, to be appointed for certain roles and increase Waqf tribunals members from two to three members.
The clause-by-clause voting today saw 16 MPs from the ruling government voting in favour of the amendments, while 10 opposition members voted against them. The opposition’s amendments, spanning all 44 clauses of the Bill, were defeated by the same 10:16 majority.