The JPC on the Waqf Amendment Bill has solicited feedback from the public, NGOs, experts, stakeholders, and institutions.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set up a seven-member team tasked with engaging the Muslim community and gathering their suggestions on the Waqf Board Amendment Act, 2024. The move is part of the BJP’s effort to generate support for the bill, which faces significant opposition from various quarters.
The newly formed team, announced on Saturday, includes key figures from different Waqf Boards across India: Shadab Shams (Chairman, Uttarakhand Waqf Board), Sanwar Patel (Chairman, Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board), Chaudhry Zakir Hussain (Administrator, Haryana Waqf Board), Mohsin Lokhandwala (Chairman, Gujarat Waqf Board), Maulana Habib, and Nasir Hussain (National Executive Members of the BJP’s Minority Morcha), and Raj Bali (former chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board).
According to BJP sources, the party’s high command has directed the minority front to engage with the Muslim community to discuss the Waqf Board Bill. The committee will visit several states, hold discussions with Muslim scholars, and address concerns related to the amendment. The objective is to clear any misunderstandings and build consensus within the minority community.
BJP Minority Morcha National President Jamal Siddiqui stated, “We have consulted many Muslim religious leaders about the amendment, and none have expressed concerns. The BJP aims to safeguard waqf properties from illegal possession and protect the rights of poor Muslims. The opposition’s objections are politically motivated.”
In addition, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has announced that the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Amendment Bill is soliciting feedback from the public, NGOs, experts, stakeholders, and institutions. Written suggestions can be sent to the Joint Secretary, Lok Sabha Secretariat, or emailed to jpcwaqflss@sansad.nic.in. Submissions are requested within 15 days.
The JPC, chaired by Lok Sabha MP Jagadambika Pal, held its first meeting on August 22 and its second meeting on August 30 in New Delhi. The committee, comprising 31 members (21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha), is actively reviewing the amendment bill.
In a recent social media post, Pal mentioned that a delegation led by Hazrat Syed Naseeruddin Chishti, heir of Ajmer Dargah and President of the All India Sufi Sajjada Nashin Parishad, visited him and shared its views on the bill. The next meeting of the JPC on the Waqf Amendment Bill is scheduled for September 5 and 6.
As the debate over the Waqf Bill continues, the BJP’s efforts to engage with the Muslim community and address concerns are expected to play a crucial role in shaping the bill’s future.
