BJP's Jagdambika Pal to chair joint committee on Waqf Bill

The committee, which has 31 members total—10 from the Rajya Sabha and 21 from the Lok Sabha—is expected to give its report by the end of the upcoming legislative session.

Jagdambika Pal, a senior BJP member of parliament, will lead the joint parliamentary committee that will review the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The committee, which has 31 members total—10 from the Rajya Sabha and 21 from the Lok Sabha—is expected to give its report by the end of the upcoming legislative session, reported PTI. 

According to the report, following opposition complaints over the bill's provisions in the Lok Sabha, it was decided to refer the legislation to a joint committee. The administration has said that it has no intention of interfering with mosque operations, while the opposition has condemned the law, which was introduced last Thursday, calling it an attack on Muslims and the Constitution.

Lok Sabha @ombirlakota has been pleased to appoint Jagdambika Pal, Member, Lok Sabha as Chairperson of the Joint Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024#WaqfBoardAmendmentBill #WaqfActBill @KirenRijiju @MOMAIndia @loksabhaspeaker @LokSabhaSectt #LokSabha pic.twitter.com/QoXFgos5ry

— SansadTV (@sansad_tv) August 13, 2024

The 73-year-old Uttar Pradesh MP, Jagdambika Pal, has served four terms and is renowned for his cordial inter-party relationships. The composition of the committee includes a mix of ruling NDA members and opposition representatives, the report added. 

The PTI report stated that the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, last Friday, adopted a motion which was moved by the Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. The minister, who also holds the parliamentary affairs portfolio, according to the PTI, named the members to be part of the committee. 

Officials told the news agency that a formal notification naming BJP's Jagdambika Pal as the chairperson of the joint committee would be issued shortly. 

The report further stated that in the Lower House of the Parliament, 12 members of the panel are from the ruling NDA, including eight leaders of the BJP and nine from the Opposition. Meanwhile, the committee formed in the Upper House has four members of the BJP, four of the opposition and one from the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP which opposed the Waqf Bill and one is a nominated member. 

According to the PTI report, Rijiju stated that the committee has been asked to submit their report to Lok Sabha by the last day of the first week of the next Parliamentary session.

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