Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

India

Opposition Walks Out of Joint Committee Meeting on Waqf Bill, Demands Chairman’s Removal

screengrab

Several opposition MPs walked out of a joint committee meeting on the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, on Tuesday, October 15, after alleging that a BJP member had made derogatory remarks about them. The opposition members, including Kalyan Banerjee, Gaurav Gogoi, A Raja, Mohamed Abdulla, and Arvind Sawant, left the meeting in protest. They were attending a session where representatives from the Ministry of Minority Affairs were presenting on the bill.

This is the second consecutive day that opposition members have walked out of the meeting due to differences with the committee. Earlier, they submitted a formal request to the Lok Sabha Speaker, calling for the removal of the committee chairman, Jagadambika Pal, and seeking a separate meeting to discuss their grievances.

While the opposition MPs claim the derogatory remarks led to their walkout, BJP members countered by accusing them of disrespecting the committee chairman. Despite the tension, the opposition members rejoined the meeting after about an hour.

The conflict also stems from a presentation made by Anwar Manippadi, the former chairman of the Karnataka Minorities Commission, which the opposition argued was not directly related to the bill under discussion.

What is the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024?

The Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, introduces changes in how Waqf properties are registered and managed. Under the bill, Waqf properties must be registered with the district collector, who will evaluate them. The bill specifies that properties declared as Waqf, either before or after the bill’s enactment, will not be considered as Waqf properties unless verified by the district collector.

The district collector’s decision will be final in determining whether a property is Waqf or government land, and the revenue records will be updated accordingly. Until the collector submits their report, the property will not be recognized as Waqf.

The bill also introduces a provision allowing appeals against Waqf board decisions to be taken to high courts. Additionally, it removes the previous provisions that allowed Waqf properties to be claimed based on oral declarations or disputes, insisting instead on formal documentation (waqfnama) for property recognition.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

India

India’s oldest Islamic seminary, Darul Uloom Deoband, has opposed the proposed changes to the Waqf law during a meeting with the Parliamentary committee. The...

India

by Nabeel Ahmad Though not explicitly stated in the Qur’an, waqf has been extensively used in Islamic history to assist with community development and...

India

The Andhra Pradesh government clarified on Sunday that it has dissolved the State Waqf Board due to several concerns and promised to form a...

India

On Friday, the Maharashtra government withdrew its order to allocate ₹10 crore for the functioning and strengthening of the Maharashtra State Board of Waqf....

Copyright © 2023 The Observer Post. All Rights Reserved.