JPC adopts amended Waqf Invoice regardless of Oppn calling it ‘unconstitutional’
The Joint Committee of Parliament scrutinising the Waqf (Modification) Invoice on 29 January, Wednesday, adopted its report and the amended model of the proposed legislation by majority vote, the panel’s chairperson Jagdambika Pal stated.
Opposition members continued to voice robust criticism of the adopted invoice, which was accepted by 15–11 votes, alleging that it was “unconstitutional” and would destroy the waqf boards by permitting the federal government’s interference within the non secular issues of Muslims.
Pal, nevertheless, claimed that most of the amendments accepted by the committee have addressed a number of considerations from opposition members as nicely, including the Invoice (as soon as enacted) will assist waqf boards in discharging their duties transparently and extra successfully.
He claimed that for the primary time, ‘pasmanda’ (backward) Muslims, the poor, girls and orphans have been included amongst beneficiaries of waqf — an endowment made by Muslims for charitable non secular functions.
The seasoned BJP member stated the report might be submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday, 30 January. It’s now for him and Parliament to determine the subsequent plan of action, he advised reporters when requested whether or not the Invoice might be handed within the Finances Session ranging from 31 January.
The committee has held 38 conferences within the nationwide capital since its structure on 8 August 2024 and toured throughout the nation because it consulted stakeholders to reach at its conclusions.
Opposition MPs, together with these from the Congress, DMK, TMC, AAP and the AIMIM, maintained their sharp criticism of the committee’s functioning underneath Pal and the accepted model of the Invoice.
A few of them submitted their dissent and others might be doing do by the 4 p.m. deadline at this time, Wednesday.
They stated the report, working to 655 pages, was circulated to them solely on Tuesday night time, 28 January, they usually got little time to review it or put together their dissent.
