The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Monday adopted all amendments proposed by members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), rejecting every amendment put forward by opposition members.
Committee chairman Jagdambika Pal, speaking to reporters after the meeting, said that the adopted amendments would enhance the effectiveness of the law. “The amendments moved by the NDA members in 14 of the Bill’s clauses have been accepted,” he said.
One of the major changes proposed is the removal of the clause allowing the questioning of existing Waqf properties on the basis of ‘Waqf by user’. Under the revised bill, such properties will not be open to dispute if they are being used for religious purposes.
The proceedings, however, sparked sharp criticism from opposition members, who alleged that their voices were silenced during the discussions.
Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee called the process a “farce” and accused the chairman of undemocratic conduct. “It was a farcical exercise. We were not heard. Pal has acted in a dictatorial manner,” Banerjee told reporters.
Pal rejected the allegations, asserting that the process was conducted democratically. “The majority view prevailed,” he said, adding that opposition members had moved amendments across all 44 clauses of the bill, but every one of them was defeated by vote.
The amendments proposed by the NDA members, now adopted, are set to bring changes aimed at streamlining the law, while opposition parties continue to express dissatisfaction over what they describe as a disregard for democratic principles.
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