The Parliament on passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the early hours of Friday after the Rajya Sabha gave its approval, following 12 hours-long debate over the proposed legislation. The bill, which seeks to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India, was passed with 128 votes in favour of the bill, as against 95.
The Lok Sabha passed the Bill with a 288-232 vote in the wee hours of Thursday after nearly 12 hours of debate.
Tabling the Bill in the Upper House, which was examined and redrafted by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), Rijiju said the proposed legislation has nothing to do with religion, but deals only with properties. The Bill aims to include all the Muslims sects in the Waqf board, Rijiju said.
The government proposes to rename the Waqf Bill as Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Bill.
The bill was earlier presented in the Lok Sabha in August of last year and a Joint Parliamentary Committee, headed by BJP member Jagdambika Pal, examined it.
The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995. 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.
Showdown in Rajya Sabha
The showdown started with Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge attacking Anurag Thakur for hurling "wild allegations" at him, and dared the BJP MP to prove the charges or else resign.Referring to certain remarks made by Thakur in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday during the discussion on the Waqf bill, the Congress president said the remarks have damaged his reputation.
After tabling the bill in the Upper House, Rijiju said, "The Bill is not against Muslims... We don't want to hurt anyone's religious sentiments. The Waqf board is set up only to oversee, and not manage, Waqf properties."
"The government has introduced the Bill with good intention, and thus renamed it as 'UMEED'. No one should have any problem with the name," he added.
Continuing the debate in the Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai on Thursday slammed the government over the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, calling it a "hurried decision" made without consulting the opposition. Rai accused the government of acting "arbitrarily and misleading the public".
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
"The Waqf Bill was brought in haste. The government has done whatever it wanted without listening to the opposition. They made promises to mislead the people, but none of them have been fulfilled," he said.
Taking a dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Rai said, "The BJP has a majority and is doing whatever it pleases. Be it demonetisation, GST, or the Waqf Bill, the government is making decisions unilaterally, disregarding the concerns of the people."
Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain on Thursday termed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill unconstitutional and alleged that it targets the Muslim community, even as he accused the BJP of using the proposed legislation to trigger communal tension and polarisation in the society in order to strengthen its vote bank. Initiating a discussion on the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Hussain accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to mislead the country and said no recommendations made by opposition members to the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) formed to look into the Bill were included in it.
The Lok Sabha passed the Bill with a 288-232 vote in the wee hours of Thursday after nearly 12 hours of debate.
Tabling the Bill in the Upper House, which was examined and redrafted by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), Rijiju said the proposed legislation has nothing to do with religion, but deals only with properties. The Bill aims to include all the Muslims sects in the Waqf board, Rijiju said.
The government proposes to rename the Waqf Bill as Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Bill.
The bill was earlier presented in the Lok Sabha in August of last year and a Joint Parliamentary Committee, headed by BJP member Jagdambika Pal, examined it.
The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995. 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.
Showdown in Rajya Sabha
The showdown started with Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge attacking Anurag Thakur for hurling "wild allegations" at him, and dared the BJP MP to prove the charges or else resign.Referring to certain remarks made by Thakur in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday during the discussion on the Waqf bill, the Congress president said the remarks have damaged his reputation.After tabling the bill in the Upper House, Rijiju said, "The Bill is not against Muslims... We don't want to hurt anyone's religious sentiments. The Waqf board is set up only to oversee, and not manage, Waqf properties."
"The government has introduced the Bill with good intention, and thus renamed it as 'UMEED'. No one should have any problem with the name," he added.
Continuing the debate in the Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai on Thursday slammed the government over the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, calling it a "hurried decision" made without consulting the opposition. Rai accused the government of acting "arbitrarily and misleading the public".
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
"The Waqf Bill was brought in haste. The government has done whatever it wanted without listening to the opposition. They made promises to mislead the people, but none of them have been fulfilled," he said.
Taking a dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Rai said, "The BJP has a majority and is doing whatever it pleases. Be it demonetisation, GST, or the Waqf Bill, the government is making decisions unilaterally, disregarding the concerns of the people."
Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain on Thursday termed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill unconstitutional and alleged that it targets the Muslim community, even as he accused the BJP of using the proposed legislation to trigger communal tension and polarisation in the society in order to strengthen its vote bank. Initiating a discussion on the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Hussain accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to mislead the country and said no recommendations made by opposition members to the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) formed to look into the Bill were included in it.
What are the key reforms in the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024?
- Unified Waqf Management: Streamlines the system.
- Empowerment of Waqf bodies: Waqf Boards will have more representation, including non-Muslims and women.
- Technology use: A digital portal will automate tasks like registration, auditing, and litigation.
- Development of Waqf lands: Waqf Boards can use their lands for educational institutions, markets, and housing projects.
