Amid vehement protests by the Opposition, the BJP-led government is set to table the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Bill aims to introduce reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.

Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju made an announcement to this effect on Tuesday even as the Opposition dubbed the legislation as “unconstitutional” and vowed to resist its tabling in Parliament.

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The Bill will be tabled at noon after the Question Hour for consideration and passing. There will be an eight-hour discussion, which could be increased if needed, Rijiu told reporters.

The minister said, “In the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of the Lok Sabha, I had proposed before the committee that tomorrow, on 2nd April, we are bringing the Waqf Amendment Bill and for that we have to allocate time for discussion… Finally, there was an agreement that the total time to be located for discussion on the Waqf Amendment Bill would be eight hours, extendable after taking the sense of the House…”

“If the House feels that the time for discussion should be extended, then the time can be extended, but if they (Opposition) do not want to participate in the discussion by making some excuse, then I cannot stop it. We want a discussion. Every political party has the right to express its opinion, and the country wants to hear which political party has what stance on the amendment bill,” he added.

Rijiju further said, ”And this will be recorded for thousands of years, this will be on record, who opposed and who supported the amendment Bill. On 2nd April, immediately after the Question Hour, I want to introduce the amendment bill for consideration and passing, after that, we have agreed for 8 hours of discussion…”

Opposition MPs reiterated that they would actively protest the tabling of the Waqf Bill, which aims to implement changes to the existing rules of the state Waqf boards.

Rijiju has asserted that the Bill doesn’t interfere with religious institutions’ freedom and is designed to give rights to those who previously lacked them.

He said even the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) has supported the Bill. Yesterday, he welcomed the request by KCBC to all MPs of Kerala to support the Waqf Amendment Bill.

The Waqf amendment Bill could be passed tomorrow, and then it will be sent to the Rajya Sabha.

The Bill has found an unlikely supporter in Syed Naseruddin Chishty, the chairman of the All India Sufi Sajjadanshin Council (AISSC) and successor of the spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah. Speaking to a news agency, Chishty urged the Muslim community to only believe in the official government statements on the intentions of the proposed Bill. He also asked them to ignore the “emotional and provocative statements” being made against the Bill.

Rijiju had earlier briefed BJP spokespersons on the Waqf Amendment Bill at the party’s headquarters yesterday.

During the meeting. He presented a detailed overview of the Bill, highlighting its benefits for the Muslim community. He asserted that the Bill doesn’t interfere with religious institutions’ freedom and is designed to give rights to those who previously lacked them.