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All eyes on Naidu, Nitish as Modi govt pushes Waqf Amendment Bill 2024

All eyes are on whether TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu and JDU leader Nitish Kumar would support the government or the opposition on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024

Sunday November 24, 2024 7:18 PM, Syed Ali Mujtaba

New Delhi: The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 is set to be introduced in the Winter Session of the Parliament, which will commence on November 25 and likely conclude on December 20.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has vowed to pass the Waqf bill in the upcoming winter session of the Parliament.

All eyes are on whether TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu and JDU leader Nitish Kumar would support the government or the opposition on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The Bill has sparked debate with opposition parties and minority organizations who are alleging that it seeks to centralize the government’s control over Waqf properties, undermining state rights and the Muslim community’s autonomy.

The Bill, introduced during the 2024 Monsoon Session of the Parliament on July 28, caused a ruckus in the house and was then referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for wider scrutiny.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) has examined the proposed legislation since August this year and is still to submit its report. The committee has held 27 meetings and is eager to submit its report in the Parliament by the end of the coming week.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) Chairman and BJP MP Jagdambika Pal announced that the 27th meeting would be the last sitting of the panel and a draft report would be circulated to the members shortly.

The Opposition members on November 21 demanded an extension of the tenure of the committee, contending that they need more time to study the changes to the draft legislation. The Waqf committee is required to submit its report on or before November 29.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 has met with opposition from minority communities, civil society, and opposition leaders with some seeing it as an attempt to limit the rights of the Muslim community.

The bill would centralize control of waqf properties under government officials rather than community representatives. It could have wide-ranging ramifications for the Muslim community and its rights. The bill, along with the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC), is part of a broader plan to reshape India's socio-political landscape.

The bill would undermine the powers of the state government and state waqf boards. The bill would restrict the authority of waqf boards in matters of registration and survey of waqf properties. Additionally, it proposes to include non-Muslims and Muslim women in the Central Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards.

The bill aims to reduce the powers of Waqf boards, which currently have the authority to designate a property as "waqf property". The bill intends to rename the Waqf Act, of 1995, to the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act. The bill allows Waqf to be formed by declaration, recognition based on long-term use, or endowment.

According to the bill, only a person practicing Islam for at least five years may declare a waqf.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) President Moulana Khalid Saifullah Rehmani declared that he would oppose the proposed Waqf bill "at all costs," even stating that the AIMPLB members are willing to risk their lives for this cause.

Muslim Law Board Chief called to stop the Waqf bill saying:

"It is a matter of life and death for us, and we should stop it (Waqf bill) at all costs. If needed, the Muslims of the country will fill the jails in such a way that the government will not have any place to house criminals."

The AIMPLB Chief further said:

"If needed, we will not hesitate to give our own lives".

Rahmani emphasized that the government's main goal is to take Waqf land from Muslims. He questioned:

"If non-Muslims manage Waqf boards, will they care about your mosques and graveyards? The result will be that your land will be taken away. This is a dangerous bill."

“This action by the central government goes against the Constitution, democratic values, federalism, and the pluralistic structure of India,” he stated.

The Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren met a delegation from the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). The AIMPLB after the meeting, released a statement saying that Soren would "never support the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024."

In a related matter, on October 22, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee had a heated argument with BJP's Abhijit Gangopadhyay during a Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on the Waqf Bill.

As tensions rose, Banerjee smashed a glass water bottle on the table in frustration, injuring his thumb and index finger. He was suspended for one day by the Parliamentary committee for his disruptive behavior during the meeting.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee reportedly has received emails in hundreds of thousands from concerned Muslims opposing the Bill.

[The writer, Syed Ali Mujtaba, is a Journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com.]

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