Waqaf Amendment Bill: Mirwaiz appears before Parliamentary Panel; Calls For No-Interference in Religious Matters

Waqaf Amendment Bill: Mirwaiz appears before Parliamentary Panel; Calls For No-Interference in Religious Matters

PTI | January 24, 2025 | 05:59 PM IST | Breaking News, Jammu Kashmir, Politics | Tags: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Waqaf Amendment Bill | Follow on Google News

Waqaf Amendment Bill: Mirwaiz appears before Parliamentary Panel; Calls For No-Interference in Religious Matters

Kashmir Mirwaiz, who led a delegation from Jammu and Kashmir, appeared before the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill on Friday to present concerns about the draft legislation. Speaking to reporters before the meeting, the Mirwaiz strongly opposed the bill, advocating for non-interference by the government in matters of religion.

This is the first time that Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who also leads the nearly defunct separatist conglomerate Hurriyat Conference, has stepped out of the Kashmir Valley since the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

“We hope our suggestions will be heard and acted upon, and no step will be taken that makes Muslims feel disempowered,” he said. Highlighting the significance of the Waqf issue for Jammu and Kashmir, he added, “The people of Jammu and Kashmir, being a Muslim-majority region, have specific concerns about this bill. We have prepared a detailed memorandum addressing these point by point and urge the government to avoid interfering in Waqf matters.”

The Mirwaiz also expressed concerns about the tense atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir, stating, “There is already tension when discussions revolve around mosques and temples. No action should be taken that further vitiates the atmosphere in J&K.”

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The parliamentary panel meeting on the Waqf Amendment Bill, however, was marked by controversy as opposition members accused the chairman, Jagdambika Pal, of steamrolling through proceedings. The meeting began on a tense note, with members protesting what they alleged was an arbitrary change to the meeting’s agenda, which they claimed was communicated late at night.

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Amid ongoing protests and disruption, BJP member Nishikant Dubey moved a motion to suspend ten opposition members, including representatives from the Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, AIMIM, SP, and Shiv Sena (UBT). The motion was adopted, and the members were suspended for a day.

Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee accused the chairman of acting on the government’s orders, alleging, “The proceedings are being rushed through with an eye on the Delhi assembly elections.” Banerjee further criticised Pal for disregarding opposition requests to reschedule the meeting and claimed that opposition members were being treated unfairly.

Meanwhile, BJP member Aparajita Sarangi defended the chairman, describing the opposition’s behaviour as “disgusting” and accusing them of creating a ruckus and using unparliamentary language.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, introduced by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, seeks to address challenges in the regulation and management of Waqf properties. The committee is set to adopt its final report on 29 January.

The Mirwaiz, who had earlier planned to meet Pal at his residence, reiterated his opposition to the bill and urged the government to tread cautiously on issues that might impact communal harmony in Jammu and Kashmir.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by VoM News staff and is published from the syndicated feed)

PTI