Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Thursday called for a pause and reconsideration of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report on the Waqf Amendment Bill, criticizing the committee for rejecting all suggestions made by the Opposition. Tiwari questioned the purpose of the JPC if it only accepted the ruling party’s recommendations, dismissing the Opposition’s contributions.
“They have rejected all the suggestions provided by the Opposition that were in the best interest of the country. What was the point of the JPC? The amendments proposed by the ruling party were all accepted, turning this into a government report rather than a JPC report. It should be reconsidered and paused before moving forward,” Tiwari said.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi also weighed in on the issue, asserting that the government’s focus should be on better implementing the existing Waqf Act rather than pushing for politically motivated amendments. Speaking to ANI, Gogoi expressed concern over the constitutional implications of the bill and noted that several members of Parliament had voiced their dissent within the JPC.
“The current Waqf Act is sufficient for managing Waqf properties, and instead of improving its implementation, the government is pushing for a politically motivated amendment,” Gogoi remarked.
Earlier in the day, BJP MP Jagadambika Pal, who chairs the JPC on the Waqf Amendment Bill, stated that the committee would present its report in Parliament after six months of nationwide consultations. Pal emphasized that the committee had adopted 25 amendments across 14 clauses in the bill.
“In the last six months, we have prepared this report after traveling across the country. Some JPC members expressed concerns about their views not being considered. We have included dissenting notes in the appendix, along with records from relevant stakeholders,” Pal clarified.
As per the List of Business in the Lok Sabha, Jagadambika Pal, along with BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal, will present the JPC report today. The report, which was submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on January 30, 2025, will also include evidence provided before the Joint Committee.
