Chandrababu Naidu's TDP to support Waqf Bill in Parliament

Hyderabad: Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Key NDA ally will support the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which is likely to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, April 2.

TDP's decision to support the Bill comes after three of its recommendations to the JPC have been included in the draft bill, sources in the TDP told DH.

“TDP's three amendments proposed in JPC have been included in the final draft bill and there should not be a problem supporting it. However, the final call will be taken after fine reading of the draft bill. MPs are awaiting the nod of the party high command,” a highly placed source in TDP told DH.

There was also pressure from some sections of the Muslims on TDP and Jana Sena not to support the Bill. A few sections of the Muslims had also called for the boycott of the Iftar parties organised by the TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh. On March 29, Muslim organisations had also staged protest in Vijayawada against the Waqf Amendment Bill.

Earlier, TDP's parliamentary party leader, Lavu Krishna Devrayalu, had proposed amendments to the Bill:

1) That in Clause 3 at page 2, after Clause 3(ix)(d), following proviso be inserted: “Provided that the existing waqf by user properties registered on or before the commencement of Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2024 as waqf by user will remain as waqf properties except that the property, wholly or in part, is in dispute or is a government property.”

2) That in Clause 4 at page 3 of the Bill, after newly proposed Section 3B(1), following proviso be inserted: “Provided that Tribunal may, on an application made to it by the Mutawalli, extend the period of six months under this section for such period as it may consider appropriate, if he satisfies the Tribunal that he had sufficient cause for not filing the details of the waqf on the portal within such period.”

3) That in Clause 4 at page 3, in the newly proposed Section 3C(2), in line 35, after the words ‘Government property,’ for the words “the same shall be referred to the Collector having jurisdiction who shall make such inquiry as he deems fit,”, the words, “State Government may by notification designate an Officer above the rank of Collector hereinafter called the designated officer, who shall conduct an inquiry as per law,” shall be substituted; That in Clause 4 at page 3, line 40, in proviso to Section 3C(2), the word “Collector” be substituted with the word “designated officer”.