New Delhi:
Lok Sabha is set to witness a marathon debate today after Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introduces the Waqf Amendment Bill, which has sparked heated political exchanges over the past few weeks. The Bill will be tabled around noon.
Here’s your 10-point cheat sheet to this big story
- The legislation aims to amend the 1995 law governing Waqf properties. The amendments, the Centre has said, are aimed at improving the management of Waqf properties in India.
- Congress and other Opposition parties have opposed the legislation. They have said that the Joint Parliamentary Committee set up to examine the Bill did not consider Opposition MPs’ suggestions. They have alleged that the government is rushing ahead with the Bill.
- All major parties, including the BJP and the Congress, have issued a whip, asking their MPs to be present in the House when the Bill is introduced and participate in the discussions.
- Eight hours have been allocated for the debate on the Waqf legislation in Lok Sabha. This time, however, can also be extended. If passed by the Lok Sabha, the Bill will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha.
- The numbers appear to give an advantage to the ruling BJP. The party has 240 MPs, and its key allies TDP and JDU have 16 and 12 MPs, respectively. With other allies, the NDA is expected to score 295 votes, comfortably past the majority mark of 272. The Congress and its allies have around 234 votes.
- TDP and JDU, the BJP’s key allies, have considerable support among the minorities. Opposition MPs have warned the NDA allies of consequences if they support the Bill, which has drawn criticism from key minority bodies.
- The TDP has said it would support the Bill and that its leader, N Chandrababu Naidu, is firmly with the Muslims. The JDU has urged the government not to implement the legislation with retrospective effect.
- The Waqf Amendment Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in August last year, after which it was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee that examined it and submitted a report.
- Contentious changes in the Bill include the provision for non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards. Also, Government property identified as Waqf will cease to be Waqf and the Collector will determine the ownership, it states.
- The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, a major organisation representing Muslims in India, has urged secular parties to oppose the legislation and not vote in its favour. The AIMPLB has said the Bill is not just based on discrimination and injustice, but also contradicts provisions of fundamental rights in the Constitution.
