Government to Send Waqf Bill to Joint Panel for Wider Scrutiny

Responding to objections raised by several opposition members, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju proposed sending the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, to a joint parliamentary committee. He argued that the original Waqf Act of 1995 did not serve its intended purpose, prompting the need for this amendment.

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Several opposition members expressed concerns about the bill’s potential impact on the federal structure and its perceived encroachment on religious autonomy. Congress MP KC Venugopal described the bill as an “attack on the federal system,” while AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi claimed that it violates Articles 14, 15, and 25 of the Constitution. NCP (SCP) MP Supriya Sule called for the bill to be either withdrawn or sent to a standing committee for further review, and RSP MP NK Premachandran warned that it could be struck down if subjected to judicial scrutiny.

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Rijiju Defends UMEED Bill, Cites Supreme Court Ruling

Defending the bill in the Lok Sabha, Rijiju announced that it has been renamed the “United Waqf Act Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act,” or “UMEED” for short. He assured the House that the bill does not infringe upon religious freedoms protected under Articles 25 to 30 of the Indian Constitution, emphasizing that the Supreme Court has ruled that Waqf Boards do not fall under the purview of these articles.

Rijiju clarified, “There is no hindrance being caused to the freedom of any religious body, nor is any provision of the Constitution being violated. According to a Supreme Court ruling, Waqf Boards don’t fall within the purview of Articles 25 and 26. This Bill has been brought to restore rights to those who have been deprived of them.”