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As the central government gears up to move the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Congress MP Kiran Kumar Chamala on Wednesday stood firm in opposition, saying that they will oppose the bill if it tries to "de-establish" a particular community.
He said the government has agreed to hold an eight-hour debate in Lok Sabha today amid the ongoing budget session. The issues, he added, raised by the opposition members must be considered and not "bulldozed" as it happened in the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for the Waqf Amendment Bill. "Definitely, we will oppose this bill if something in it is against a particular community or trying to de-establish that community. They (the government) have given us eight hours today to discuss it. Our final agenda is that when there is a discussion, the issues raised by the opposition or the ruling should be considered because this is a democratic platform; they should not bulldoze as they did in the JPC," Chamala told ANI. As the parliament is set to convene again today, the legislative business suggests that Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will move the Waqf Amendment Bill of 2025, which aims to amend the Waqf Act of 1995, for passing. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress are issuing whips to their MPs to ensure their presence in the House. With the parties in the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the Opposition INDIA bloc showing no signs of bipartisan consensus building, the outcomes may be decided on the majority numbers on the floor. The bill will be tabled after today's Question Hour for consideration and passing. Following that, an 8-hour discussion will be held, subject to an increase. In line with the BJP and Congress, their allies have also issued a whip to all their MPs to be present in the parliament on April 2 and 3. The opposition has been vocal in its criticism of the Waqf Bill, with Samajwadi Party (SP) chief whip Dharmendra Yadav issuing a 3-line whip to all its MPs in the Lok Sabha to be present in the House on April 2 and participate in discussions on the Waqf Amendment Bill. However, on Tuesday, INDIA bloc floor leaders also met in parliament to discuss the strategy for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. During a Parliamentary Board meeting, the Siromani Akali Dal (SAD) also passed a resolution against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. Party leader Daljit S Cheema reiterated the party's stance to stand with Muslims, saying, "Minorities are an important part of India," and no law should be passed without consensus from the community. The bill was presented in the Lok Sabha in August of last year, following which a Joint Parliamentary Committee was formed under Jagdambika Pal's leadership for further consideration. The bill aims to amend the Waqf Act of 1995 to redress the issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties. The Amendment Bill seeks to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous Act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards by introducing changes such as renaming the Act, updating the definitions of waqf, improving the registration process, and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records. The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. (ANI)
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