The Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, on Monday cleared the bill, accepting 14 amendments after detailed discussions spanning six months.

JPC chairman BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, said 44 amendments were discussed. “After detailed discussions over the course of six months, we sought amendments from all members. This was our final meeting… So, 14 amendments have been accepted by the committee on the basis of majority votes.”

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He said the Opposition too had suggested amendments but they could not be passed as the JPC has 16 MPs from the ruling NDA government and 10 from the Opposition.

“We moved each and every of those amendments, and it was put to vote but there were 10 votes supporting theirs (suggested amendments) and 16 votes opposing it,” the BJP MP added.

Meanwhile, Opposition MPs raised serious concerns over the proceedings, alleging procedural violations and lack of transparency.

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee criticized the process, alleging it was already fixed and that they were not allowed to speak. “Today, they did whatever they had fixed. They did not allow us to speak. No rules or procedures have been followed. Initially, we had asked for documents, representations and comments. All those things have not been supplied to us.

“They started clause-by-clause discussion. We said, first let us discuss. (Jagdambika) Pal did not allow the discussion at all. He then brought in the Amendment Motion. We were not allowed to speak in the Amendment Motion. He himself moved, counted and declared. All amendments have been passed. Our amendments have been rejected and theirs have been allowed,” he said.

He further added, “This was a farce proceeding. This is a black day of democracy… Jagdambika Pal is the greatest blacklister of democracy. He is a man who has destroyed democracy.”

However, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, another member of the JPC, refuted the Opposition’s allegations, asserting that the process was democratic and exhaustive.

She said, “JPC on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was held today in a very democratic manner. Chairperson Jagdambika Pal tried to hear everybody out and gave sufficient time for everybody to move the amendment that everybody wished to.

“There are 44 amendments to the principal Act 1995 that had been proposed by the government which had been tabled before all of us to deliberate upon. 34 sittings have already taken place for deliberating on the entire matter. A total of 108 hours have been dedicated to this job. More than 284 stakeholders have been consulted and their views have been given due importance,” she added.

Speaking about today’s meeting, Sarangi said, “As far as today’s meeting is concerned, let me tell you that against these 44 amendments, the Opposition part MPs had actually proposed amendments with regard to 43 proposals of the govt. As far as NDA MPs are concerned, they had moved 24 proposals. Every proposal moved either by the Opposition or the Ruling Party was put to debate and voting was done by raising of hand. The voting was mostly 10:16. They were 10 members and we were 16… Today also they started creating a ruckus and the entire Opposition team was led by Kalyan Banerjee… This particular Bill has been really deliberated upon very extensively, very thoroughly.”

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, now moves closer to being tabled in Parliament during the upcoming budget session.