Lok Sabha Appoints Members To Review Controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024

One day after the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 sparked debate and was referred to a joint parliamentary committee, the Lok Sabha approved a motion on Friday naming 31 members to the panel responsible for reviewing the legislation.

According to the motion introduced by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, the joint committee will consist of 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. The committee is tasked with examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 and will present its final report in the next parliamentary session.

Here is a list of Lok Sabha members appointed to the joint parliamentary committee:

- Jagdambika Pal (BJP)

- Nishikant Dubey (BJP)

- Tejasvi Surya (BJP)

- Aparajita Sarangi (BJP)

- Sanjay Jaiswal (BJP)

- Dilip Saikia (BJP)

- Abhikit Gangopadhyay (BJP)

- DK Aruna (BJP)

- Gaurav Gogoi (Congress)

- Imran Masood (Congress)

- Mohd Jawed (Congress)

- Maulana Mohibullah (SP)

- Kalyan Banerjee (TMC)

- A Raja (DMK)

- Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu (TDP)

- Dileshwar Kamait (JDU)

- Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena - UBT)

- Suresh Mhatre (NCP-Sharad Pawar)

- Naresh Mhaske (Shiv Sena)

- Arun Bharti (Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas)

- Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM)

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, was immediately sent to the joint parliamentary committee following extensive discussion. While the government asserts that the bill's amendments are not intended to interfere with mosque operations, opposition parties argue that it targets the Muslim community and infringes on constitutional rights.

The bill proposes to rename the Waqf Act, 1995, to the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act and aims to centralize the registration of waqf properties through a unified portal. The opposition, including Congress, Samajwadi Party, and Trinamool Congress, argues that the bill is unconstitutional and undermines Muslim autonomy over their religious and charitable properties.

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav criticized the bill as politically motivated, while Indian Union Muslim League’s ET Mohammed Basheer and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi condemned it as a violation of constitutional principles and an attack on religious freedoms.