The Waqf Amendment Bill<\/a> – which proposes several changes to laws governing central and state boards, which decide how Muslim charitable properties are administered – will be tabled in the Lok Sabha Wednesday, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said this afternoon.<\/p>\n The current Parliament session – i.e., the second half of the Budget session – ends Friday and Mr Rijiju, who is also the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, said he wanted to allow MPs sufficient time to debate changes that have triggered a fierce row between the ruling BJP and the opposition.<\/p>\n Accordingly, the bill will be tabled in the Lok Sabha after the Question Hour and eight hours have been allotted for discussion. This can be extended at Speaker Om Birla’s discretion.<\/p>\n The bill had been first tabled in the Lower House in August last year, after which it was sent to a joint parliamentary committee for scrutiny. The JPC submitted its report in February.<\/p>\n The report was filed after squabbles between members from opposition parties and those from the BJP, and its allies, over the committee’s functioning. Opposition MPs accused the Chair – BJP MP Jagadambika Pal – of bias and rushing the bill through without proper consultations.<\/p>\n READ |\u00a0<\/strong>“Ensure Fair Proceedings”: Suspended Waqf Panel MPs To Speaker<\/a><\/p>\n The BJP refuted that claims; panel member and Lok Sabha MP Aparajita Sarangi said Mr Pal “tried to hear everybody out and gave sufficient time for everybody to move amendments…”<\/p>\n The JPC held nearly three dozen hearings in six months but many of those ended in chaos, and at least one in physical violence after Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee smashed a glass bottle on the table<\/a>, after claiming provocation from the BJP’s Abhijit Gangopadhyay.<\/p>\n Eventually 66 changes were proposed, of which all 44 from the opposition were rejected while the 23 from BJP and allied parties were accepted. After a vote 14 of the 23 were cleared.<\/p>\n READ |\u00a0<\/strong>Rules On 2 Non-Muslims Among 14 Changes To Waqf Bill<\/a><\/p>\n The removal of an annexure containing dissent notes from the opposition MPs triggered another row.<\/p>\n The centre said the Chair had the discretion but, after talks, said the dissent notes would be included.<\/p>\n READ |\u00a0<\/strong>Opposition MPs In Waqf House Panel Say Their Suggestions Ignored<\/a><\/p>\n The JPC had 16 MPs from the BJP and allied parties, and 10 from the opposition.<\/p>\n The original draft of the Waqf Amendment Bill had proposed 44 changes.<\/p>\n These included nominating non-Muslim and (at least two) women members to each Waqf board, as well as a Union Minister, three MPs and persons of ‘national repute’. There was also a proposal to limit donations from Muslims practicing their religion for at least five years.<\/p>\n The proposals were fiercely criticised by the opposition; senior Congress leader KC Venugopal said it amounted to a “direct attack on the freedom of religion”.<\/p>\n AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and the DMK’s Kanimozhi also spoke out, arguing the bill violated multiple sections of the Constitution, including Article 15 (the right to practice a religion of one’s choice) and Article 30 (the right to minority communities to establish and administer educational institutions).<\/p>\n Sources earlier told NDTV the changes to the Waqf laws are meant to empower Muslim women and children who “suffered” under the old law.<\/p>\n