New Delhi [India], April 2 : Calling upon the opposition members to have "a change of heart" and support the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said that Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation, held very extensive discussions and such wide consultations on the legislation had never been done in the parliamentary history of India.
Moving the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 for consideration and passing in Lok Sabha, Rijiju said the bill will not be implemented with retrospective effect and dismissed allegations that it is aimed at "snatching" property.
Rijiju also moved the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024 for consideration and passing in Lok Sabha.
"I want to say that the discussion that has taken place on the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Joint Committee of both the Houses has never been done in the parliamentary history of India till date. I thank and congratulate all the members of the Joint Committee...Till date, a total of 284 delegations....of different communities have presented their views and suggestions before the committee. Waqf boards of 25 state governments and union territories have also presented their submissions," Rijiju said.
He said 97. 27 lakh petitions were received concerning the bill which was introduced in August last year and was examined by JPC. The minister rejected opposition members' allegation that the bill was unconstitutional and said the Centre has not taken any additional powers through the bill.
Earlier, Congress member KC Venugopal accused the government of trying to bulldoze the bill, saying that they had not been given enough time to move their amendments.
"You are actually bulldozing the legislation, you need to give time for the amendments, their no time for amendments," he said.
Speaker Om Birla said that he had given equal consideration to the amendments of the government and the opposition members.
With RSP's NK Premachandran raising some objections to the procedure adopted by the government over the bill, Home Minister Amit Shah said that the union cabinet had approved the amendments which had been incorporated in the bill.
"It was your (opposition) insistence that a Joint Parliamentary Committee should be formed. We do not have a committee like the Congress. We have a democratic committee, which brainstorms. 'Congress ke zamane mein committee hoti thi jo thappa lagati thi'. Our committee discusses, deliberates on the basis of discussions and makes changes. If the changes are not to be accepted, then what is the point of the committee. There is no point of order," he said.
Rijiju told the media earlier that the bill is in the interest of the country.
"Today is a historic day and today the Waqf Amendment Bill will be introduced in the Lok Sabha and this bill is being introduced in the interest of the country. Not only crores of Muslims but the whole country will support it. Those who are opposing it are doing so for political reasons," he said.
The bill was earlier presented in the Lok Sabha on August of last year and a Joint Parliamentary Committee, headed by BJP member Jagdambika Pal, examined it.
The bill seeks to amend Act of 1995. The Bill seeks to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process, and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records.