NEW DELHI: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for the Waqf Board (Amendment) Bill, 2024, has reportedly received more than 1.2 crore email responses from across the country, both for and against the proposed Bill.
This comes amid campaigns launched by rival groups to muster support for their respective viewpoints on the draft law. Currently chaired by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, the JPC members, drawn from both Houses of Parliament, have met many times to elicit various suggestions on the Bill.
The JPC has also sought suggestions of stakeholders from all sections of the society through email and letters.
Sources said the recent JPC meeting was held on Thursday, where many Opposition members had heated arguments with the ruling party members who pitched for the Bill, citing various references in support of the proposed legislation.
Sources said the All India Muslim Personal Law Board representatives argued against the Bill while, surprisingly, some people belonging to Pasamanda Samaj aired their voices in support of the Bill at Thursday’s meeting held in Delhi.
Sources said the panel has also received 75,000 responses with documents to support the respective views, prompting the panel to seek additional staff from the Lok Sabha Secretariat. With a massive response, the panel has got 15 additional personnel from the Lok Sabha secretariat to go through the email responses, categorise them as pro and against the Bill and arrange relevant attached documents.
The proposed Bill seeking amendment in the Waqf Board and its property rights has snowballed into a major row between the ruling BJP and Oppositions, including several Muslim organisations.
Controversial radical Islamic preacher Zakir Naik also appealed to his supporters to oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill by sending responses to the parliamentary panel examining the draft law.
In reaction to this appeal, several Hindu organisations also acted and issued similar appeals to the supporters of the draft Bill. In August, the JPC had also sought written suggestions from the general public, NGOs, experts, stakeholders and institutions.
The JPC members are learnt to have decided to visit five major cities — Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru — to seek feedback from government officials, legal experts, Waqf Board members and community representatives from September 26.
The panel is examining key aspects of the Bill through consultations. The key issues include digitisation of records, more rigorous auditing processes, enhanced legal measures for dealing with encroachments, and decentralisation of Waqft management.
Backing from Pasmandas
On the JPC’s meeting in Delhi on Thursday, many Opposition members had heated arguments with the ruling party members who pitched for the Bill. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board representatives argued against the Waqf Bill while, surprisingly, some people belonging to Pasamanda Samaj aired their voices in support of the proposed legislation.
Speaker to inaugurate presiding officers’ conference
Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla will inaugurate a two-day conference of presiding officers of the India region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association on Monday. The attending presiding officers belonging to the legislatures of states and UTs will deliberate on the theme ‘The role of legislative bodies in the attainment of sustainable and inclusive development’.
As many as 46 presiding officers, four chairpersons, 25 speakers, three deputy chairpersons, and 14 deputy speakers of legislatures of states and Union territories will attend the conference. The association’s India region was created in 2004 and has 31 member branches.
