New Delhi:

The fourth meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to examine the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, was held on Friday.

During the meeting, senior officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) made a presentation before the Joint Parliamentary Committee. Several stakeholders, including the Zakat Foundation of India and the Telangana Waqf Board, put forth their views, suggestions, and oral evidence on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Speaking after the JPC-led meeting, Shiv Sena (Shinde group) leader and panellist of the JPC, Naresh Mhaske told ANI that Waqf Board properties are not being used for the welfare of the poor.

“This is why the Waqf Board Amendment Bill has been brought and as members of the committee, we are deliberating on the bill, and it will soon be tabled in the Parliament for approval. ASI also attended the meeting. ASI said that many properties which have previously been conserved by the government of India, have been claimed by the Waqf without any proof,” Mr Mhaske told ANI.

Opposition parties have been continuously opposing the Waqf Board Amendment Bill in JPC meetings, leading to uproar and heated debates.

Naresh Mhaske said that the opposition only talks about opposing, and there is a competition among them to see who can speak out more against the amendment bill and deliver more speeches.

“After Owaisi delivered a speech, others followed suit to secure their vote bank and showcase their strength,” he added.

Mr Mhaske said that the Zakat Foundation and Telangana Waqf Board also shared the same view, arguing against amending the Waqf Board bill while presenting their reasoning.

According to sources, the Archaeological Survey of India gave a detailed presentation in the JPC-led meeting on issues related to Waqf in protected monuments and sites and explained the problems they are facing. They also discussed why the Waqf Board Amendment Bill is necessary.

The meeting also witnessed heated exchanges between the opposition parties and the ruling party MPs regarding various amendments to the proposed Bill.

In the third JPC-led meeting on Waqf held on Thursday, the presentation was given by ministries including the Ministry of Urban Development, Railways, and Road and Transport. The Secretary of the Housing Development Department also presented his views in the JPC meeting, stating that there is a dispute between DDA and Waqf Board over 138 properties in Delhi, out of which 123 properties are highly contentious, the sources said.

Naresh Mhaske earlier told ANI that discussions are being done on various topics regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 in the JPC and to ensure that the poor people from minority communities get benefits from the bill. “I urge the opposition to think about the interest of the country and constitution. They should stop creating confusion among the people,” he added.

The Waqf Act 1995 empowers the Waqf Board to declare any property or building as Waqf property in the name of charity. According to sources, using this authority, the Waqf Board has issued notifications to declare protected monuments as Waqf properties, resulting in conflicts with the rights granted under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958.

The sources claim that the Waqf Board restricts the Archaeological Survey of India from performing regular conservation and maintenance work at these protected monuments. There are several instances where Waqf authorities have made changes to the original structure of protected monuments, affecting their authenticity and integrity. Dual authority over monuments of national importance often leads to administrative issues.

According to sources, ASI in their presentation mentioned that representative or committee members of Waqf sometimes make unilateral decisions that conflict with policies. In some cases, ASI employees are restricted from entering certain parts of the monument, citing confidentiality. Waqf authorities sometimes claim ownership of the monument, leading to management issues.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Opposition’s ongoing objections about “unparliamentary” language provided some lighter moments in parliament today amid the acrimonious discussion of the Waqf Amendment Bill. This time, Union minister Kiren Rijiju averted a pitfall, with some ‘help’ from senior cabinet colleague Amit Shah. The Minister for Minority Affairs was responding to the debate on the bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha today amid a barrage of Opposition criticism.

Explaining why the government thought it fit to go ahead with the bill, he spoke of a Muslim woman from Uttar Pradesh, directing a jibe at Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav.

“Bushra Fathima… You were probably the Chief Minister then. Didn’t anyone inform you? She is having such a difficult time trying to survive with her children. But if there is no change in Waqf laws, once her husband dies, the property will go to the Waqf board,” Mr Rijiju said, holding her as a case study for the government’s stance that a change in the current law would help women and children.

Amid cries of “Shame, shame” from the treasury benches, he said, “Should we not intervene in such a situation? Should no step be taken to get her justice? Don’t look at this through the prism of religion”.

As the Opposition benches started sounding like an angry beehive, the minister said, “The Congress people have this problem — they ask a question and when I try to clarify matters, they say ‘Form a committee’. Don’t try to run off after raising an issue”.

Then, cutting through more comments about JPC that floated in, Mr Rijiju said, “I just explained matters. On what will be done, Mr Speaker, we will move forward with your agreement and the sense of the House. But so many members spoke today of so many things at length, so many lies (Jhooth) , creating misconceptions…”

Here, interrupted by loud protests, he corrected himself and said “untruths’ (Asathya). But that did not appear to pacify the Opposition. Amid the cacophony, Union Home Minister Amit Shah got up and declared, “Don’t say lies (jhooth). Let’s say they have not spoken the truth”. Even the Speaker was seen smiling broadly at the amendment.

A woman member, presumably from the Opposition, said, “Say untruths and misinformation”. Now Mr Rijiju grinned and in an approving tone, added, “You do know untruths were said and misconception spread”.

While building his case for the bill, Mr Rijiju had said that the law has been in the making for over 10 years and it was time to bite the bullet and do it. Even the Opposition, he said, knew it and approved of it in their hearts. “But they cannot say so because of political reasons,” he said. Citing Leader of the Opposition, Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, who had walked off, Mr Rijiju said, ‘He has given his approval before leaving,” bringing guffaws from his party colleagues.

The Waqf Amendment Bill, which envisages changes to the existing version on 44 points, has been criticised as “draconian” by the Opposition parties. Many leaders have contended that it violates fundamental rights and ideas enshrined in the Constitution, including Article 14, which guarantees equality before law, Article 15, which bars discrimination on basis of religion and Article 25, which guarantees religious freedom.

The government has defended the Bill saying it would lead to transparency and benefits to women and children by protecting their inheritance. 

The bill requires that money received by the Waqf Board must be used for the welfare of widows, divorcees, and orphans in the manner suggested by the government. 

New Delhi:

Samajwadi Party boss Akhilesh Yadav attacked the BJP Thursday morning over proposed amendments to 44 sections of the Waqf Act of 1995, declaring the Bill a pretext to profit from sale of Waqf-owned lands and that the ruling outfit should rename itself ‘Bharatiya Zameen (land) Party’.

Mr Yadav’s sarcastic swipe came hours before Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju tables the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act in the Lok Sabha.

The proposed amendments will change 44 sections of the older legislation, including allowing non-Muslims and Muslim women to be named to central and state Waqf bodies. Among other major proposed changes are omission of Section 40 from the existing law, which allows the Board to classify properties; this means it can, under current rules, declare any of its properties as Waqf.

“All these amendments… are just an excuse. Selling land (owned by) Defence Ministry, Railways, and Nazul land (i.e., land inherited from the colonial British government) is the target. Waqf Board lands are just another link in the chain of ‘schemes for the benefit of BJP’…” Mr Yadav said in Hindi on X.

‘वक़्फ़ बोर्ड’ का ये सब संशोधन भी बस एक बहाना है
रक्षा, रेल, नज़ूल लैंड की तरह ज़मीन बेचना निशाना है

वक़्फ़ बोर्ड की ज़मीनें, डिफ़ेंस लैंड, रेल लैंड, नज़ूल लैंड के बाद ‘भाजपाइयों के लाभार्थ योजना’ की शृंखला की एक और कड़ी मात्र हैं। भाजपा क्यों नहीं खुलकर लिख देती : ‘भाजपाई-हित… pic.twitter.com/VwK3YyWAG5

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) August 8, 2024

“Why doesn’t BJP openly write: ‘Issued in interest of BJP’? BJP is working like a real estate company. It should change its name by adding ‘Zameen’ instead of ‘Janta’: Bhartiya Zameen Party.”

Mr Yadav called for a “written guarantee that Waqf Board lands will not be sold”.

Waqf Boards across India own nearly eight lakh acres, making it the largest private land-owning organisation. The Defence Ministry and the Railways have more, but they are government-owned.

The proposal to alter the Waqf Act has been heavily criticised by the opposition and some members of the Muslim community, and fiery protests are likely when the amendments are tabled later today.

Earlier today, Congress MPs KC Venugopal and Hibi Eden filed notices to oppose introduction of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha. Akhilesh Yadav’s party will also oppose the Bill.

NDTV Explains | Non-Muslims On Boards, Council Can’t Claim Land: Waqf Changes

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has given notice to oppose the amendments, claiming it is against rights guaranteed under the Constitution, including freedom to practice religion. “The amendments are discriminatory and arbitrary, and are a grave attack on the basic structure of the Constitution as it violates principle of judicial independence and separation of powers,” Mr Owaisi said.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board said changes “will not be tolerated”. Spokesman SQR Ilyas said the government wants to change the status of Waqf properties so “possession is easier”. Also, the Tamil Nadu Board chief told NDTV called it a ploy to “weaken” and “destabilise” such organisations.

READ | ”No Need For Amendment”: Tamil Nadu Waqf Board On Centre’s Move

The government, however, has dismissed such claims.

Sources told NDTV the idea is to empower Muslim women and children who “suffered” under the old law. The objective, sources declared, is also to curb illegal occupancy of by Waqf boards.

READ | Waqf Law Change To Help Women, Say Government Sources

Sources also claimed a “dangerous narrative” is being manufactured by certain Muslim clerics who are making wild statements that their land will be snatched

The government, meanwhile, also wants the passage of the bill to be “inclusive” exercise, and is willing to send the amendments to a joint committee for further study, sources said.

The 1995 Wakf Act was passed to regulate ‘auqaf‘ (assets donated and notified as Waqf) by a ‘wakif’ (the person who dedicates the property). The legislation was last amended in 2013.

With input from agencies

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Parliament Session Live:

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which will amend the law governing Waqf boards, is likely to be introduced in the Parliament today. The bill aims to rename the Waqf Act, 1995, as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.

It also seeks to omit Section 40 of the current law relating to the powers of the Board to decide if a property is Waqf property. It provides for a broad-based composition of the Central Waqf Council and the State Waqf Boards and ensures the representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims in such bodies.

The monsoon session of Parliament commenced on July 22 and is scheduled to conclude on August 12.

Here are live updates on the Parliament Session: