Waqf bill: JPC to meet on August 22

New Delhi: The first meeting of the Joint Committee of Parliament examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 will be held on August 22 during which the Ministry of Minority Affairs will brief the 31-member panel about the proposed legislation.

The joint committee was formed during the just concluded Parliament Session after the contentious Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha amid Opposition protest against the move. Senior BJP MP Jagadambika Pal has been named the Chairman of the multi-party panel.

In its first meeting, the panel will be briefed by officials of the Ministry of Minority Affairs on the proposed amendments to the Wakf Act.

The representatives of the Legislative Department and Department of Legal Affairs in the Ministry of Law and Justice will also be present in the meeting.

Earlier, Muslim League had protested against not including any of its five MPs in Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha in the panel while claiming that even single member parties found space in the committee.

Sources said the committee members are also likely to discuss how to move forward on the discussions. The panel is likely to invite stakeholders for elaborate discussions besides seeking written suggestions from the public.

Several Muslim organisations have expressed their opposition to the proposed amendments.