Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday (August 8) proposed to send Waqf (Amendment) Bill to Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further scrutiny following which it may be considered by the parliament for passage.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was tabled in the parliament on Thursday along with a motion to repeal Mussalman Waqf Act, 1923.
The amendment act seeks to modify the waqf system in India and change structure of waqf boards across the country as well.
Waqf is property donated by a person of Muslim faith for religious or charitable use. State waqf boards as well as national waqf boards are involved in functions related to management or possession of these waqfs.
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Opposition unhappy over bill
The Waqf bill came under fire shortly after its introduction in Lok Sabha.
Congress' KC Venugopal said that the bill was unconstitutional and that allowing non-Muslims to be members of the waqf board is an attack on the Muslim faith. He also alleged that the bill was introduced with electoral gains in upcoming Maharashtra and Haryana elections in mind.
Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule demanded that government withdraw the bill.
"I request the govt to either withdraw this bill completely or send it to a standing committee...Please do not push agendas without consultations," she said.
AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that the bill was an attempt to restrict Muslim community.
"The Government has sought to severely restrict how Muslims can manage their Waqf property," he said.
Samajwadi Party, the second largest party in the Opposition, slammed the bill inside the Lok Sabha and also on social media. Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the bill was a smokescreen for the government's real intent, that of selling properties under waqf boards across the country.
Government defends the bill
Rijiju refuted Opposition's charge that the bill was taking away rights of Muslim community.
"With this bill, there is no interference in the freedom of any religious body. Forget about taking anyone's rights, this bill has been brought to give rights to those who never got them. This bill being brought today is based on the report of Sachar committee (which called for reform) which you made (Congress)," Kiren Rijiju said.
"Stop opposing this bill, this will go down in history, whoever has opposed it and whoever has supported it. So before opposing the bill, think about thousands of poor people, women, and children and respect them," Rijiju added.
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