JPC Approves 14 Amendments to Waqf Bill, Opposition Alleges Lack of Transparency

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) has approved 14 amendments to the Waqf Amendment Bill moved by the members of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while rejecting all amendments put forward by the opposition members.

The bill was cleared despite strong objections from opposition parties. The decision was reached after a majority vote, with 16 members supporting the amendments and 10 opposing them.

JPC Chairperson Jagdambika Pal commented on the development, stating, "44 amendments were discussed clause by clause. After detailed discussions over 6 months, we sought amendments from all members. This was our final meeting... So, 14 amendments have been accepted by the committee based on a majority. Opposition too had suggested amendments. We moved every one of those amendments & it was put to vote but 10 votes were supporting theirs (suggested amendments) and 16 votes opposing it."

The Waqf Amendment Bill aims to overhaul the Waqf Act of 1995, which governs the management of Waqf properties in India. The bill has sparked controversy, with opposition parties alleging that it undermines the rights of Muslims and the federal structure of India. Following the meeting, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, a member of the JPC, noted that opposition members had proposed amendments to 43 of the government's proposals.

However, opposition members have strongly criticized the JPC's decision. They alleged that they were not allowed to speak during the meeting and that the amendments were pushed through without adequate discussion. The final draft report of the JPC is expected to be released on January 29.

Opposition MPs Expelled from JPC meeting

The political tension surrounding the bill escalated when a ruckus broke out during a JPC meeting on Friday, leading to the suspension of ten opposition members for a day. The unrest was triggered by alleged changes in the schedule for upcoming meetings, which opposition members claimed they only discovered upon arriving in Delhi. The opposition wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, protesting the last-minute changes. BJP members dismissed the allegations; accusing opposition parliamentarians of misbehaving during the meeting.The opposition also accused the chairman of steamrolling through proceedings. Originally, the JPC was scheduled to start a clause-by-clause discussion on the bill on January 24 and 25. However, on Thursday night, the schedule was altered to meet with the Mirwaiz on Friday, pushing the clause-wise review to January 27.

Opposition leaders demanded that the chairman be instructed to conduct proceedings in a transparent and fair manner. They called for the postponement of the January 27 meeting and insisted that opposition members be given adequate time and opportunity to participate.

Despite the opposition's criticism, the committee pressed ahead with the approval of the amendments. The final draft report of the JPC is expected to be released on January 29.