New Delhi : Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Amendment Bill on Thursday said that the committee will meet in Delhi on November 21 and the report will be presented in the winter session of the parliament.
“The Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, will meet in Delhi on November 21…Then the report will be presented in the winter session…Even after meeting with all the stakeholders, Maulanas like Tauqeer Raza Khan are saying that we will not let the Waqf (Amendment) Act be passed,” Pal was quoted as saying by ANI.
He further suggested the politicians to stop doing pity politics over the issue and consult with the committee if they had any genuine problems regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill. “Instead of doing appeasement politics and dividing the country, religious leaders like Tauqeer Raza should appear before our committee,” he added.
The BJP-led NDA government stated that the JPC’s efforts are part of a larger national initiative to reform the Waqf Act. The government further said that the waqf properties should be used for the greater good of the community. The Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, has held 25 meetings since August 22 of this year. The JPC reviewed the work of six ministries and heard from 123 stakeholders, including representatives from six states, eight Waqf boards, and four minority commissions. The committee is expected to present its report on the bill to the House by the end of the first week of the Winter Session of Parliament.
Earlier, the Lok Sabha Secretariat announced that the JPC would conduct a study tour across five Indian cities for better understanding and acceptability of the issue. The committee was scheduled to visit Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Patna, and Lucknow from November 9 to 14. However, the tour is delayed in some of the cities because of the ongoing elections in Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
