The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is expected to be tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, with both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress issuing whips to their MPs to ensure their presence in the House. With the parties in both the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the Opposition INDIA bloc showing no signs of bipartisan consensus building, the final outcomes may be decided on the majority numbers on the floor.
The bill will be tabled after the Question Hour today for consideration and passing, and following that, an 8-hour discussion will be held, which is also subject to an increase. In line with the BJP and Congress, their allies have also issued a whip to all their MPs to be present in the parliament on April 2 and 3.
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The opposition has been vocal in its criticism of the Waqf Bill, with Samajwadi Party (SP) chief whip Dharmendra Yadav issuing a 3-line whip to all its MPs in the Lok Sabha to be present in the House on April 2 and participate in discussions on the Waqf Amendment Bill. However, INDIA bloc floor leaders also held a meeting in Parliament to discuss the strategy over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Tuesday.
The bill was earlier presented in the Lok Sabha on August of last year, following which a Joint Parliamentary Committee was formed under the leadership of Jagdambika Pal for further consideration. The bill aims to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to redress the issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties.
The Amendment Bill seeks to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards by introducing changes such as renaming the Act, updating the definitions of waqf, improving the registration process, and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records. The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments.