The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 is scheduled to be introduced in the Lok Sabha today. Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will move the Bill to further amend the Waqf Act, 1995. The bill seeks to address issues related to the powers and functioning of the State Waqf Boards as well as registration and survey of waqf properties.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said, the government should speak to the institutions of those who are directly affected by the bill. He said, the Centre should have called an all-party meeting and taken suggestions from opposition over the legislation.
Talking to media outside Parliament, Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Kumar Rai said that his party will oppose the introduction of the Bill. NCP (Sharad Pawar) MP Supriya Sule demanded that the bill should be sent to the standing committee for further scrutiny and more recommendations.
On the other hand, BJP has asserted that the legislation has been brought to provide justice to the minorities who have been harassed as there were several complaints of poor minorities that their properties were taken by the Waqf boards. Talking to media outside Parliament, Party MP Sanjay Jaiswal alleged that Congress had allowed to harass poor minorities through Waqf Board Act.
Disclaimer: This press release is sourced from News On AIR, Prasar Bharti and Press Information Bureau India (PIB).
