The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) has approved the WAQF Bill 1995 with 25 amendments across 14 clauses, as confirmed by JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal. In his statement, Pal defended the committee’s extensive consultation process, emphasizing the efforts made to involve various stakeholders over the past six months.
“We have had a democratic and thorough process,” Pal said, outlining the committee’s efforts to meet with a range of groups, including state government officials, WAQF boards, minority commissions, Islamic scholars, retired judges, lawyers, and others. “We held 36 meetings in Delhi and visited states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Odisha, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. We engaged with everyone involved,” he added.
Pal also addressed the 44 clauses or amendments discussed in the recent meeting, where amendments from various parties were presented. “We gave everyone the opportunity to present their amendments,” he noted, while also responding to criticism from opposition members such as Kalyan Banerjee and A. Raja. “We allowed them to speak and present their amendments,” Pal said, clarifying the process of voting on amendments when agreement couldn’t be reached.
When disagreements arose, Pal explained, voting took place on each proposal. “We recorded the votes and even photographed the results. For some amendments, they received 10 votes in their favor, while 16 voted against,” he said, stressing that the final decisions were made based on majority votes.
The Chairman reaffirmed that the process was transparent and democratic. “Every clause and amendment was voted on, and the results were declared publicly,” he said.
Pal further confirmed that the bill would be presented to the JPC members for adoption in a meeting scheduled for the following day. Afterward, the committee’s report—comprising approximately 500 pages—will be adopted and subsequently submitted to the Speaker for presentation.