Cabinet Approves Changes To Waqf Amendment Bill, Claim Reports

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has approved changes to the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill, according to reports. The Cabinet accepted 14 of the 23 changes proposed by a joint parliamentary committee – to which the bill had been referred in August – in a meeting last week, reported the NDTV.

This paves way for the Bill to be tabled for discussion and passage in the second half of the Budget Session, when the House reconvenes on March 10.

The JPC had presented its report on February 13.  Controversy erupted after opposition MPs on the panel said sections of their dissent notes had vanished from the submitted document.

The centre denied the accusation. However, the Centre had reportedly stated that the JPC chairman, the ruling BJP’s Jagadambika Pal, had the discretion to remove sections casting ‘aspersions’ on the panel.

Following a meeting between Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, and protesting opposition MPs, it was decided that the dissent notes would be included. Submission of the JPC’s report was after a prolonged fight between the opposition and the BJP over the committee’s functioning. The opposition had accused Pal of bias and rushing the bill without proper consultation.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on August 8, 2024. This came after its introduction in the Lok Sabha by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.

The Opposition said that the Bill was “unconstitutional”. The Opposition had claimed that the bill would destroy the Waqf Board by allowing the government’s interference in the religious matters pertaining to the Muslim community.

Waqf refers to properties dedicated exclusively for religious or charitable purposes under Islamic law. Any other use or sale of the property is prohibited.

What are the key changes?

Some of the key changes in the bill, as claimed by sources, are as follows:

1. Non-Muslims, women and OBC members included in waqf board

2) Inheritance protection, fair rights in family waqfs

3) All waqf properties to be registered on a central digital portal

4) Removes government-owned properties from waqf records

5) Can’t claim its Waqf property based on prolonged religious use

6) Separate boards for Bohra and Agakhani communities