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Muslim organisations, under the banner of Joint Forum for Waqf Protection took to streets in West Bengal's Kolkata to protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill which was passed by the Parliament in the early hours of Friday.
The bill now awaits President Droupadi Murmu's assent to become an act. The protestors hold the placards which read, " We Reject Waqf Amendment Bill" and, "Reject Waqf Bill". "No matter what happens, we will reclaim our rights in any way," they chanted. Earlier, protests were also held in Gujarat's Ahmedabad and authorities had heightened the security ahead of Friday prayers after the Bill was passed. In Uttar Pradesh too, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Lucknow), Ashish Srivastava told ANI, "We are in contact with everyone. We have asked them to make an opinion only after reading the whole Bill. We are monitoring social media constantly...We are organising foot march and route march..." Meanwhile, the Budget Session of Parliament, which began on January 31, 2025, has officially come to an end, with both Houses being adjourned sine die today. Both houses will now reconvene during the Monsoon session of Parliament; however, the dates have not been announced yet. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said the lower house of Parliament underwent 26 sittings from the commencement of the Session on January 31. During the session, 10 government bills were introduced, and 16 bills, including the Waqf Amendment Bill and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, were passed. One of the standout points of this session was the passing of the Waqf Amendment Bill of 2025.The Parliament passed the bill in the early hours of Friday after a marathon and heated debate in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. 288 MPs voted in favour of the Bill while 232 against it in the lower house while in Rajya Sabha 128 MPs voted in its favour and 95 against it. The government introduced the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation introduced in August last year. The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. The bill aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records. (ANI)
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