Waqf Amendment Bill: Aiming to bring bill that benefits poor, women, minorities: JPC Chairperson Jagdambika Pal

The chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, Jagdambika Pal, said on Thursday that they are aiming to bring such a bill that benefits the poor, children, women, and minorities.

Jagdambika Pal further said that the Joint Parliamentary Committee has also called three ministries to the meeting.

Speaking to reporters, Jagdambika Pal said, “Today there is an important meeting of JPC in which we have called Minister of Urban Development, Ministry of Railways, and Ministry of Transport, we have called 3 important ministries for presentations on this. We are talking to a lot of stakeholders and our effort is to talk to as many stakeholders as possible, out of Delhi too, in several states. If the government has referred the Waqf Amendment Bill to JPC, then we aim to bring such a bill so that the purpose of the waqf whether religious, pious, or charitable benefits the poor, children, women, and minorities in the health and education sector.”

Congress MP K Suresh said that there is a huge objection from various Muslim organisations and they are demanding withdrawal of the bill.

He further said that he had made a memorandum of suggestions he received from various Muslim organisations and submitted it to the JPC Chairperson to consider them.

Speaking to reporters, K Suresh said, “In Kerala, there is a huge objection from various Muslim organisations. They are demanding to totally withdraw this bill. Almost 25 organisations are demanding it, including Jamaat-e-Federation, Sunni organisations, etc. They came to us and submitted their proposals and amendment suggestions, so I collected their memorandum and submitted them to the chairperson to consult their observations also.”The Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 is holding its meeting on Wednesday and has invited 3 ministries to make presentations to the committee.Shiv Sena leader and JPC panel member Naresh Mhakse said that one should put forward their views peacefully and by not creating a ruckus on this matter.

Earlier on August 30, the second meeting of Joint Committee of Parliament headed by MP Jagadambika Pal on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was held at the Parliament House Annexe.

As per information, the committee had called representatives of the All India Sunni Jamiyatul Ulama, Mumbai, the Delhi-based Indian Muslims for Civil Rights, the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board and the Rajasthan Board of Muslim Waqf.