New Delhi [India], February 3 : BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi on Monday highlighted the start of the fourth session of the 18th Lok Sabha, noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged all leaders, including the opposition, to present their statements.
"The fourth session of the 18th Lok Sabha is starting today. PM Narendra Modi has instructed all the opposition leaders and us to give our statements positively," Sarangi said.
Sarangi also provided an update on the Waqf Bill, stating that a 655-page revised version was submitted to Speaker Om Birla by Jagdambika Pal on January 29. The Bill will be introduced in the coming days. "As far as Waqf is concerned, a 655-page revised form of the Waqf Bill has been handed over by Jagdambika Pal to Speaker Om Birla on January 29," she added. She further confirmed that the Waqf Bill would be introduced in the Lok Sabha soon. "This Waqf Bill will come by today or tomorrow," Sarangi said.
Earlier, amid criticism over the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal said on Monday that the opposition is attempting to push a certain agenda and has submitted a dissent note covering 281 pages of the 428-page report. Speaking to the media, Pal emphasized that the final report was prepared after considering all the witnesses. "Just like they (the opposition) tried to mislead the JPC by saying that if this bill is passed, all Waqf properties will be taken away, similarly, they are trying to push a certain agenda across the country and are attempting appeasement. In the continuous JPC meetings, we called everyone as witnesses, whether it was the Waqf Board, the Minority Commission, government officials, stakeholders, or Islamic scholars--we listened to all of them. We have prepared a 428-page report, which we have submitted to the Speaker," he said.
"In this 428-page report, we had requested clause-by-clause amendments, whether it was Owaisi Sahib, Naseer Hussain, or anyone else, and everyone had given their input. We then held a voting based on those amendments and accepted them based on the majority," he added. The JPC Chairman also highlighted that those who are opposing today were present in all the meetings and participated in the voting process.
"The opposition has submitted a dissent note on 281 pages out of the 428-page report. When we present the report in the House, the dissent notes of all these members will be included as well. Now, what more could be done in a parliamentary democracy?" Jagdambika Pal said.
When asked when the report would be presented in the House, the JPC Chairman replied, "When the Speaker proposes the agenda and the Business Advisory Committee agrees, we will table it."
The JPC report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 will not be tabled in the House on Monday, according to the list of businesses. The report was presented to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on January 30, 2025. The JPC on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill adopted the draft report and the amended revised Bill on Wednesday, January 29. However, opposition leaders submitted their dissent notes on the report.
The JPC had earlier cleared the Waqf Bill 1995 with 25 amendments across 14 clauses and sections. The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 aims to address these challenges by introducing reforms such as digitization, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.