The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 will be reviewed by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) of 31 members chaired by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, as announced on Tuesday.
This comes days after Congress-led INDIA bloc opposed the bill calling it an 'attack on the federal system'. The opposition called on the Centre to refer the Bill to a parliamentary committee last week for broader consultation before presentation in the House.
The Centre, in response, decided to send the Bill to a JPC for further scrutiny.
A total of 21 MPs from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha will be part of the committee that will submit its report by the next session.
Among other measures, the Bill is looking to bring sweeping changes to the existing Waqf Act like the representation of Muslim women, and non-Muslims in the institutions.
Lok Sabha MPs in the Waqf Bill parliamentary committee
From the Lok Sabha, 12 MPs of the ruling National Democratic Alliance will be a part of the JPC including eight BJP MPs, while nine MPs from the opposition will also be a part of the panel.
BJP and NDA: Jagdambika Pal, Nishikant Dubey, Tejasvi Surya, Aparajita Sarangi, Sanjay Jaiswal, Dilip Saikia, Abhijit Gangopadhyay, D K Aruna, Lavu Sri Krishnadevaraya (TDP), Dileshwar Kamait (JDU), Naresh Ganpat Mhaske (Shiv Sena), Arun Bharti (Lok Janshakti Party).
Congress: Gaurav Gogoi, Imran Masood, Mohammad Jawed.
Others: Mohibbullah (SP), Kalyan Banerjee (TMC), A Raja (DMK), Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena UBT), Mahtre Balya Mama Suresh Gopinath (Sharad Pawar NCP), Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM).
Rajya Sabha MPs in the Waqf Bill panel
Meanwhile, from the Rajya Sabha, four MPs from BJP, four from the opposition, one from the YSRCP and one nominated member will be a part of the JPC.
BJP: Brij Lal, Medha Vishram Kulkarni, Gulam Ali, Radha Mohan Das Agrawal.
Congress: Syed Naseer Hussain.
Others: Mohammed Nadimul Hague (TMC), V Vijayasai Reddy (YSRCP), M Mohamed Abdulla (DMK), Sanjay Singh (AAP).
Nominated: Veerendra Heggade