Waqf Amendment Bill Mein 14 Changes: Joint Parliamentary Committee Ne Kiya Vote

New Delhi: Ek joint parliamentary committee ne Waqf Amendment Bill ke draft version mein 14 changes ke liye vote diya hai. Yeh bill August 2024 mein Lok Sabha mein table kiya gaya tha aur iska aim hai ki Muslim charitable properties ke management mein 44 major changes laaye jaayein.

Key Changes:

• Non-Muslim Members Ko Include Karna: Bill ke original draft mein do mandatory non-Muslim members ko include karne ka provision tha. Ab nominated ex-officio members (Muslim ya non-Muslim) ko alag se distinguish kiya gaya hai. Iska matlab hai ki waqf councils mein ab kam se kam do members non-Muslim honge (agar nominated ex-officio members bhi non-Muslim hain, toh aur zyada ho sakte hain).
• Waqf Property Ke Liye Naye Niyam: Ek aur major change yeh hai ki ab concerned state ka officer yeh decide karega ki koi property waqf hai ya nahi. Pehle yeh decision District Collector ke upar tha.
• Retrospective Application: Yeh change specify karta hai ki yeh law retrospective nahi hoga, jab tak ki property already registered na ho. Congress leader aur JPC member Imran Masood ne is par concern raise kiya, kyunki unka kehna tha ki 90% waqf properties registered nahi hain.
• Donation Criteria: BJP MP Tejasvi Surya ne ek aur change propose kiya, jisme bola gaya ki agar koi land donate karna chahta hai toh usse 5 saal tak Islam practice karna hoga aur koi contrivance nahi hona chahiye is property ko dedicate karte waqt.

Opposition Ki Reaction:

Opposition MPs ne 44 proposals diye the, lekin unmein se koi bhi accept nahi kiya gaya. Yeh proposals 10:16 ke vote ke baad reject kar diye gaye, jisme BJP aur allied parties ke 16 MPs ne support diya aur opposition ke 10 MPs ne oppose kiya.

Voting Aur Final Report:

14 changes ko accept karne ke liye 29 January ko vote hoga aur final report 31 January tak submit kar di jayegi. Pehle committee ko November 29 tak report file karni thi, lekin yeh deadline extend karke 13 February kar di gayi hai.

Criticism:

Critics, jaise ki Trinamool leader Kalyan Banerjee aur AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, is bill ko “direct attack on freedom of religion” keh rahe hain. Unhone yeh bhi kaha ki yeh Constitution ke multiple sections ko violate karta hai, jaise ki Article 15 (right to practice any religion) aur Article 30 (right of minorities to run educational institutions).

1995 Waqf Act ko regulate karne ke liye banaya gaya tha, aur last time is law ko 2013 mein amend kiya gaya tha.