The Union Cabinet has approved 14 amendments to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, proposed by the Joint Committee of Parliament (JCP).
These amendments, suggested by National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members, were approved by the JCP on January 27. However, 44 amendments proposed by the Opposition were rejected.
The revised Bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament during the second half of the Budget session, starting on March 10. Key changes include extending the six-month window to register Waqf properties on a portal, replacing the district collector with a state government official to determine whether a property is Waqf or government land, and ensuring one member in the Waqf tribunal has knowledge of Muslim law and jurisprudence.
With a united NDA, including support from parties like the Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident of passing the Bill. Despite the BJP’s current tally of 240 members in the Lok Sabha, the votes of 16 TDP members, 12 JD(U) members, and five Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) members will be crucial. Additionally, support from smaller NDA allies will also be significant.
On February 13, Opposition parties in the JCP alleged that portions of dissent notes submitted by their MPs had been redacted without their knowledge. The government later agreed to restore some of the redacted parts through a corrigendum to the JCP report.
The JCP proceedings saw several disputes between the Opposition and ruling sides, with the Opposition alleging procedural irregularities. The ruling BJP and committee chairperson Jagdambika Pal denied these allegations, asserting that all procedures were followed during the committee’s tenure.
