Both houses of Parliament witnessed a massive showdown on Thursday as the report of the Joint Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was tabled. Opposition MPs in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha protested vehemently, alleging that portions of the dissent notes were removed from the final report. The uproar led to Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar briefly adjourning proceedings in the Rajya Sabha.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to streamline the registration of Waqf properties. However, as soon as Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni presented the report, opposition MPs raised strong objections, claiming that their dissent notes had been omitted. In the Lok Sabha, Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) chairperson and BJP MP Jagadambika Pal tabled the report amid chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram,’ but opposition members stormed the Well of the House in protest.
Massive Opposition Protest Over Waqf Bill Report
The opposition leaders resorted to slogan-shouting, creating a ruckus in both houses of Parliament. Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar urged Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge to pacify the members, stating, “Don’t show disrespect to the President of India.”
However, Kharge remained firm in his stance, demanding that the report be sent back to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) and re-presented.
Kharge Slams ‘Fake Reports’ and Calls for Re-evaluation
Kharge strongly criticized the handling of the report, asserting that the opposition’s views had been ignored.
“In the JPC report, many members have their dissent report. It is not right to remove those notes and bulldoze our views. This is anti-democracy… We will never accept such fake reports. If the report does not have dissenting views, it should be sent back and presented again,” said Kharge.
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Supporting Kharge’s stance, MPs from the INDIA bloc also protested. Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant claimed that clause-by-clause discussions were never held in the JPC meetings. “Because of this, we gave a dissent note. They have removed the dissent note we gave,” he said.
Amit Shah and BJP Counter Opposition’s Claims
In an effort to defuse tensions, Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured the opposition that the government had no objection to incorporating the dissent notes.
“Some opposition members have objected, stating that their disputes have not been fully included. On behalf of my party, I request that the opposition’s disputes be appropriately incorporated into the parliamentary procedure. My party has no objection to this,” Shah said.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also countered Kharge’s claims, stating that the dissent notes were included in the appendix of the report and accused the opposition of misleading the House. “There is no deletion or removal from the report… The members of the Opposition are creating an unnecessary issue,” he said.
BJP President JP Nadda further criticized the opposition, stating that “some were trying to fight the Indian state”—a reference to Rahul Gandhi’s controversial remarks last year, where he claimed that the Congress was not just fighting the BJP and RSS, but also the “Indian state.”
Amendments Approved and Rejected
The final report was presented to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on January 30, following months of deliberations. The panel adopted the revised bill on January 29, approving 14 amendments proposed by the ruling NDA members while rejecting the opposition’s suggestions.
What Is the Waqf Bill?
The legislation proposes a complete overhaul of the governance of Waqf boards, which oversee properties donated for religious and charitable purposes by the Muslim community. Among the key provisions of the bill are the inclusion of at least two non-Muslim members on state Waqf boards and arbitration by a government official to determine whether a property qualifies as Waqf property.
Political Fallout and Future Course of Action
With the opposition parties uniting against the government’s move, the controversy surrounding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is expected to escalate further in the coming days. The demand for transparency and inclusion of dissenting opinions continues to fuel parliamentary debates.
The ongoing Parliament session has already witnessed heated exchanges over various issues, including the India vs England cricket series, Donald Trump’s tariff war, and the upcoming Maha Kumbh. The Waqf Bill’s passage is now poised to become a major flashpoint in the current legislative agenda.
