Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024: Opposition protests as joint committee report tabled in Parliament

The tabling of the Joint Committee Report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 in both Houses of Parliament on Thursday led to uproar, adjournments, and walkouts as opposition parties strongly objected to the report. In the Lok Sabha, Joint Committee Chairman Jagdambika Pal presented the report amid loud disruptions from Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party, and TMC members. Despite Union Home Minister Amit Shahs assurance that the BJP had no objection to including dissent notes if Speaker Om Birla permitted, opposition members staged a walkout, rejecting the report.

A similar confrontation took place in the Rajya Sabha, where BJP MP Dr. Medha Vishram Kulkarni tabled the report. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar attempted to restore order, urging MPs to allow discussions, but was forced to adjourn the House as protests escalated. Leader of Opposition Mallikarjuna Kharge accused the government of excluding dissenting views, while Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju denied the allegations, insisting that no part of the report or dissent notes had been removed. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Leader of the House J.P. Nadda condemned the oppositions actions as disruptive and irresponsible. Unconvinced by the governments response, opposition MPs walked out, deepening the political standoff.

At the heart of the controversy, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 seeks to streamline waqf property management by enhancing transparency, modernizing registration, and integrating technology to curb fraud and encroachment. It also renames the Act, clarifies property definitions, and strengthens waqf boards while increasing government oversight to prevent misuse. However, the bill has become a flashpoint between the ruling party and the opposition, setting the stage for further clashes in Parliament.

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