The government has set aside eight hours in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday to consider the modified Waqf bill; the opposition and other Muslim organizations are sure to strongly object, making the session tense.
After a heated argument about the amount of time allocated for the Waqf bill debate, the opposition left the Speaker’s business advisory committee (BAC) meeting on Tuesday, giving a preview of the likely confrontation. In an exclusive interview with India Today, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju claimed that the opposition’s walkout was a pretext for avoiding debate on the bill, which would give the government a say in managing waqf lands and resolving conflicts.
“We want a discussion on the Waqf bill, but the opposition is only resorting to fearmongering and trying to obstruct the legislation. The walkout by the opposition today was an excuse to avoid discussion. The Christian community is also supporting the bill,” Rijiju said.
The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) called on the state’s lawmakers to support the Waqf measure last week, regardless of their political affiliation. The bill has been labeled unconstitutional and against the interests of the Muslim community by the opposition, which is led by the Congress.
Last August, the Waqf bill was introduced in Parliament with the intention of amending a long-standing statute that regulates properties valued at crores that Muslims donate. But in the face of opposition protests, it was referred for consideration to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), which was presided over by BJP leader Jagdambika Pal. In February, the Union Cabinet approved the bill with 14 changes. Modifications to the makeup of waqf boards are part of the proposed Waqf bill, which requires non-Muslims to serve on them.
Additionally, within six months of the law’s enactment, all waqf properties must be listed on a central database. It does, however, grant the Waqf Tribunal the authority to prolong the period under specific conditions. A state government official will have the authority to decide whether a piece of property is a waqf or government property in circumstances of disagreement. The district collector was to be the deciding authority, according to the prior bill. This provision has generated much controversy, with Muslim outfits arguing that the officer is likely to rule in favour of the government.
With the majority of the NDA’s supporters on board, the government should have no trouble passing the law during the current Parliamentary session, which ends on April 4. According to sources, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had voiced his concerns to the BJP leadership on the amendments but had not yet taken a position on the Waqf law.
Sanjay Jha, a JD(U) MP, claimed that Nitish Kumar has spent the previous 19 years serving the Muslim community in Bihar and would never tolerate any “wrongdoing.” “Nitish Kumar has been working for Bihar for the past 19 years… He has done a lot for Muslims. We want there should be no retrospective formula. What has happened in the past should not be touched,” he said.
In the meantime, the bill is probably going to include three changes put up by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP, a BJP partner. The controversial “waqf by user” phrase would be applied prospectively as part of the TDP’s planned revisions. This idea—that a property was considered waqf based on its long-standing usage for religious purposes, even in the absence of adequate documentation—is not included in the new draft.
According to TDP sources, the Muslim community’s main concern was that if the “waqf by user” clause were applied retroactively, it would result in legal issues with properties that already existed. Additionally, the TDP had resisted giving the district collector ultimate authority. Additionally, it requested an extension of the six-month period for digital document uploads.
