The Joint Committee of Parliament, formed to examine the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill introduced by the Union government—which includes amendments allowing the government to declare Waqf properties as government properties—met on Tuesday for its third session and has reportedly received eight lakh petitions from institutions and the public.
The presentation by the representatives from the Ministries of Urban Affairs, Road Transport, and Railways included their views on the bill’s implications, which favoured the amendments, arguing that it could reduce litigation related to Waqf properties by pointing out an incident where the Waqf Board claimed 138 properties between 1970 and 1977, which led to extensive legal battles.
The Ministry of Urban Affairs highlighted disputes involving the Waqf Board's claims on 138 properties between 1970 and 1977, which led to extensive legal battles.
The Ministry’s argument met with strong contention from the members, with AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi stating that no property could and should not be notified as Waqf without proper evidence and that properties must be demonstrably proven to be Waqf while questioning the government’s motive, which he said implies that if a property is deemed government, no challenge should be made.
Further scrutiny came from DMK MP A. Raja, who noted the omission of the Waqf Act of 1913 in the Ministry’s presentation. Opposition members questioned the government’s claims of ownership over properties such as masjids dating back to the 17th Century.
BJP MPs also countered the arguments, with BJP MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni requesting a list of mazars (shrines or tombs) across the country, particularly those established before the 7th Century CE, when Islam is recorded to have arrived in India.
The Ministry reported that approximately 9 lakh acres of land fall under Waqf jurisdiction. This figure was disputed by committee members, who demanded a detailed breakdown of land use, noting that a substantial portion of this land is purportedly used for burial grounds and masjids.
The committee’s schedule has also sparked controversy, with members expressing frustration over the frequent meetings held by Chairman Jagdambika Pal. The opposition members were on the verge of staging a walkout but chose to remain for further discussions. They indicated that if the current meeting schedule continues without adequate time for review, they may escalate their concerns to the Lok Sabha Speaker.