The Lok Sabha is set for a contentious debate as the Treasury bench introduces the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The bill seeks to amend The Wakf Act, 1995, with aims to enhance Waqf Boards’ transparency and include women in these bodies.
The BJP supports the bill, arguing it will improve Waqf property management, while Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju notes it responds to demands for better regulation.
Opposition parties, including Congress, Samajwadi Party, and Trinamool Congress, oppose the bill and call for its review by a parliamentary standing committee. Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav accuse the BJP of undermining Muslim rights and engaging in divisive politics.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi suggested the bill might be a diversion from other issues.
The government will decide whether to refer the bill to a standing or special committee based on Lok Sabha feedback. The bill proposes to expand the Central Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards to include Muslim women and non-Muslims, appoint a full-time chief executive officer for Waqf Boards, and require property registration with district collectors.
India has 30 Waqf Boards, managing properties with an estimated annual revenue of Rs 200 crore.
