New Delhi: Opposition members on Thursday questioned union home minister Amit Shah over his remarks that the government is committed to bringing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 during a meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee formed to examine the contentious legislation.
Members of the Parliamentary panel met on Thursday, recording the submissions of Professor Faizan Mustafa who is the Vice Chancellor of Patna’s Chanakya National Law University, the Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz, and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024.
Sources said that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh as well as All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the home minister’s remarks.
On Tuesday, addressing a press conference on the first 100 days of the third term of the PM Modi government, Shah had said that the Bill will be brought to Parliament in the coming days.
“Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 is committed to the management, preservation and misuse of Waqf properties. It will be passed in the Parliament in the coming days,” Shah had said.
In the meeting, both Singh and Owaisi questioned Shah’s comment even when the JPC was examining the legislation.
Sources in the panel said that Professor Mustafa as well as the AIMPLB have opposed the legislation. Professor Mustafa has questioned the powers given to the district collector, while AIMPLB has made its reservations public and has asked people to write to the committee opposing the Bill.
The committee’s members will travel to Chennai, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru between September 26 to September 30 to collect representations on the legislation, it was decided at Thursday's meeting.
The Committee is also set to hear the submissions of the Ajmer-based All India Sajjada Nashin Council, Muslim Rashtriya Manch and Bharat First on the legislation on Friday.