Member of Parliament Syed Aga Ruhullah Mehdi called on Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in Delhi on Wednesday, sources said. The duo discussed Waqf Amendment Bill and several other issues during the meeting.
Sources told that it was a courtesy call as Aga Ruhullah is in the capital for the upcoming Budget session. Mirwaiz is also in Delhi after he led a delegation of Mutahida Majlis Ulema (MMU) to meet Jagdambika Pal, chairman Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Waqf Amendment Bill last week.
Sources added that several issues, including the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill issue came up for discussion during Aga Ruhullah’s meeting Mirwaiz today. The meeting assumes significance amid the ongoing row between the opposition and the ruling BJP over the Waqf Amendment Bill.
On Friday, the MMU delegation led by Mirwaiz presented a detailed memorandum to the JPC about its stand on the proposed amendments.
The meeting marked the first engagement of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq with MPs after the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh – in August 2019.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 8, 2024, was referred to the Joint Committee of Parliament for examination following objections by the Opposition over its clauses.
The bill faces opposition due to changes in the composition of the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards, restrictions on the power of Waqf boards, and the mandatory registration of Waqf properties with the district collector’s office Notably, the JPC on Monday voted in favour of 14 alterations to the draft version of the Waqf Amendment Bill, which includes distinguishing between the mandatory two non-Muslim members – as specified in the original draft of the bill – and nominated ex-officio members (Muslim or non-Muslim).
These changes, and the 12 others, were proposed by members from the ruling BJP, including Lok Sabha MPs Nishikant Dubey, Tejasvi Surya and Aparajita Sarangi. The JPC has 16 MPs from the BJP or allied parties and only 10 from the opposition.
The opposition’s proposals were rejected by a 10:16 vote after committee members voted on party lines. The JPC today adopted the draft report after a 16-10 majority vote. The report will be presented to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla tomorrow—(KNO)
