Waqf Amendment Bill Today: Will It Be An Easy Passage As Entire INDIA Bloc To Oppose?

New Delhi: Amid strong objection from the opposition, the controversial Waqf Amendment Bill is all set to be on the table in Lok Sabha for voting today, April 2. The entire INDIA bloc has unanimously decided to vote against what they call an “unconstitutional bill” in parliament on Wednesday.

After introducing the bill last year, the opposition uproar forced the government to send the draft bill to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) by BJP MP Jagadampika Pal. Notably, after the JPC submitted its final draft of the bill, the opposition MPs claimed that none of their proposed amendments were considered, while noting that the panel accepted all 14 changes suggested by NDA MPs.

Read Also: Cabinet Approves Waqf Bill Cleared By JPC: Here Are The Key Amendments

All the suggestions proposed by the opposition MPs were rejected and even their dissent notes were redacted from the report. However, the bill will be tabled after question hours today.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has stated that all the opposition parties are united and should work together in parliament to defeat the bill. Calling it unconstitutional, he said, the bill is a part of the BJP’s divisive agenda. The opposition INDIA bloc has reportedly formulated a joint strategy to oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill during a recent meeting attended by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, NCP leader Supriya Sule, Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee, and Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh. Representatives of other opposition parties, including DMK, RJD, CPIM, CPI, RSP, were also present at the meeting.

Read Also: Demonise Minority Communities: Congress Ahead Of Waqf Bill’s Introduction In Parliament

The ruling BJP and opposition parties have issued whips to its MPs to ensure their attendance in the parliament.

Can The Waqf Bill Be Passed In The House?

With the Lok Sabha scheduled for passage of the Waqf amendment bill on Wednesday, it is to see if the government can sail through the bill easily as the BJP does not have an absolute majority in the house. It is believed that, with the support of key allies such as the TDP and JD(U), the ruling NDA coalition appears on an edge over the opposition. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board and several opposition parties have demanded the BJP allies oppose the bill to uphold the secular principles, highlighting that the bill is discriminatory and unjustified.

However, while the TDP has made it stand clear that it would support the contentious bill, calling it in the interest of Muslims, the JD(U) has demanded the bill should not be implemented with retrospective effect.

Contentious Provisions In Waqf Amendment Bill

There are several controversial provisions in the newly introduced Waqf amendment bill, which include allowing non-Muslims to become the CEO of the Waqf Board, and making provisions for at least two non-Muslim members to be appointed by the state government to its Waqf Board. Another most contentious provision is empowering the District Collector with the authority to determine if a disputed property is Waqf or belongs to the government. It also seeks removal of the provisions that made the tribunal’s decision final, while mandating that every Waqf property should be registered on a central database within six months of enforcement.