Modi government is preparing to bring Wakf Bill and One Nation-One Election Bill in the winter session itself, Rijiju told the strategy

The Modi government seems fully prepared to introduce the Waqf Bill along with One Nation, One Election in the upcoming winter session of Parliament. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Tuesday that the Waqf Amendment Bill will be passed in the upcoming winter session of Parliament. This bill proposes comprehensive reforms in the formation and functioning of the Waqf Boards of the Center and the states.

What did JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal say?

At the same time, Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, said on Wednesday that the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 will meet in Delhi on November 21, after which the report will be presented in the winter session. In a media interaction, Jagdambika Pal said, “The Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 will meet in Delhi on November 21, after which the report will be presented in the winter session. Even after meeting all the stakeholders, maulanas like Tauqeer Raza Khan are saying that we will not let the Waqf Amendment Act pass.”

He further said that leaders should work to unite the country instead of political interests. He added, “Religious leaders like Tauqeer Raza should appear before our committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill, and not do politics of dividing the country for political gain.”

Study done in five cities of the country

On October 31, the Lok Sabha Secretariat announced that the Joint Committee on Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 would conduct a study tour of five cities in India. The committee visited Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Patna and Lucknow from November 9 to 14, which was part of the examination of the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024. According to the official letter of Joint Secretary J.M. Baisakh, this study tour was to help the committee member review the proposed bill.

The letter states that “the Joint Committee on Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 will undertake a study tour of Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Patna and Lucknow from 9 November to 14 November 2024.” Meanwhile, the Joint Parliamentary Committee is expected to submit its report on the Waqf Amendment Bill to Parliament by the first week of the winter session, which will run from 25 November to 20 December. The committee’s effort is part of a larger national initiative to reform the Waqf Act and ensure proper use of Waqf properties for the welfare of the community.

25 meetings have been held so far

Since August 22, the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 has held 25 meetings. The committee reviewed the work of six ministries and heard from 123 stakeholders, including representatives from six states, eight Waqf Boards and members of four Minority Commissions.

On the other hand, there is also a discussion that the government can also bring a bill on One Nation, One Election in the winter session itself. The winter session is starting from November 25 and Rijiju emphasized that the Joint Parliamentary Committee has been ordered to present its findings in Parliament by the last day of the first week of the session. The Parliamentary Committee has examined the law in detail as an all-party body. The minister said that after this, the bill will be debated and voted upon.