The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) made to scrutinize the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 has received around 84 lakh emails from across India so far. Apart from this, the JPC also received approximately 70 boxes containing written suggestions. Earlier, the JPC had invited public and organizational feedback on the bill. So, seeing the need for more input, the submission date was extended up to midnight September 16.
A gargantuan task lies in front of the committee, which is headed by the JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal, to reach out to all concerned stakeholders and listen to what they have to say about the bill.
The media persons were also questioned about the apprehensions growing amidst reports of Zakir Naik, a Muslim preacher declared a fugitive who is currently in Malaysia, running a QR code-based campaign against the bill. To them, JPC Chairman clarified that Naik has never been part of the JPC or any process related to legislation.
He also categorically rejected any consideration of the JPC involving issuing QR codes or conducting any sort of related campaign.
It was rejected that the bill is against Islam as Pal questioned the validity of such allegations, for which the JPC received the largest number of emails in history, 84 lakh.
He claimed that since 1913 there has been a law on Waqf, with many amendments. The recent changes had taken place in 1995 and 2013.
The JPC will not consider those proposals that relate to the 44 amendments and have some legal value.
The next JPC sits are scheduled to take place on September 19 and 20.
The committee will first listen to Prof. Faizan Mustafa, Vice Chancellor of Chanakya National Law University and representatives from several organizations including the Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz and the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board.
The JPC will interact with members of the All India Sajjadanashin Parishad (Ajmer), the Muslim National Forum, and Bharat First, Delhi.
Between September 26 and October 1, the JPC plans to visit Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bangalore in order to meet with officials of Waqf Board, Muslim scholars, and Bar Council representatives, among others.
The commission intends to visit Lucknow and Kolkata in October.
The two bills -- the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024 were introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 8, which aimed at streamlining the working of the Waqf Board and efficiently managing Waqf properties.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aimed at amending the Waqf Act 1995 with a view to redressing issues and challenges in the regulation and management of Waqf properties. The Amendment Bill focuses on the improvement of administration and management of Waqf properties in India.
It tries to overcome the drawbacks of the earlier Act and improve the efficiency of Waqf boards by doing things like renaming the Act, update some definitions relating to waqf, improvement in the registration process, and the role of technology in managing the Waqf records.
The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, primarily seeks to repeal the Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923. As such, it would repeal a colonial legislation already in existence for over eight decades and no longer relevant or workable for waqf management in modern India.
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