Waqf Amendment Bill: Joint Committee of Parliament to hold meeting on October 14-15

The meeting scheduled to be held at the Parliament House Annexe.

On October 14, the committee will hear the suggestions of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Delhi. The committee will also hear the views of some experts on the bill. This committee has called Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay (both from Delhi) and Advocate Virendra Ichalkaranjikar (from Mumbai).

On October 15, 2024, Representatives of the Ministry of Minority Affairs will record their oral evidence before the committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Meanwhile, after the Shimla Municipal Commissioner Court on Saturday ordered the demolition of three floors of the Sanjauli Mosque in Himachal Pradesh, the Chairman of the mosque committee, Latif Negi, said that they respect the court's order.

"We respect the court order. We had given in writing that we were willing to demolish the unauthorised floors," Negi told ANI.

Further, on being asked whether they would approach the higher court on the decision, the chairman of the Sanjauli Masjid Committee said, "We will not go to the court now."

The advocate representing the Waqf Board, BS Thakur, also asserted that the Masjid Committee will comply with the order to demolish (the unauthorised floors of the mosque) within two months.

The Shimla Municipal Commissioner Court on Saturday gave two months to the Masjid committee and Waqf Board to demolish the three floors of the Sanjauli Mosque in Himachal Pradesh.

The next date of hearing in the case is December 21.

Advocate BS Thakur told reporters, "The court has passed orders that the Masjid committee and Waqf Board should demolish the top three floors of the mosque at their own cost. The time limit of two months has been given for the demolition. In due course, it will be decided about the rest of the portion of the building. The next date of hearing is 21st December. The mosque committee has given the undertaking to demolish the top three floors."

The conflict arose from the construction of a mosque, which was alleged to be illegal in Sanjauli and subsequent protests by Hindu organisations.

Jagat Paul, an advocate representing local residents of Sanjauli, told ANI, "The court has said that it is not important to make locals a party in the case as a case is already going on between the administration and the violator (the Sanjauli mosque committee). We are happy that after local residents came to court, this decision has been given today." (ANI)