New Delhi: The Waqf Bill, which was amended after the report of a joint parliamentary panel, will be taken up for consideration and passage on Wednesday in the Lok Sabha, according to sources.
Reports claim that the proposed discussion will be done for at least 8 hours. After the discussion, Minorities Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will respond to the debate and seek the approval of the House for its passage, reported the Indian Express.
The session is likely to be stormy amid strong pushback from the opposition and various Muslim organisations. On Tuesday, the opposition walked out of the business advisory committee (BAC) meeting chaired by the Speaker following a heated exchange over the time allotted to the Waqf bill debate.
The opposition has dubbed the bill unconstitutional and against the interest of the Muslim community. The 14 amendments to the bill was approved by the Union Cabinet in February.
The proposed changes to the Waqf bill include changing the composition of Waqf boards and making it mandatory to include non-Muslims as its members.
The bill also makes it compulsory for every waqf property to be registered on a central database within six months of the law coming into force. It also proposes that in cases of dispute, a state government official will have the power to determine if a property is a waqf or belongs to the government.
What NDA allies are saying?
According to reports citing sources Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was yet to take a stand on the Waqf bill. It is being claimed that he had expressed his concerns to the BJP leadership on the amendments. JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha asserted that Nitish Kumar had worked for the Muslim community in Bihar for the past 19 years and would never allow any “wrongdoing”, reported India Today.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP—another ally of the BJP—has proposed three amendments. These changes are likely to be adopted in the bill.