New Waqf Bill in Lok Sabha likely this week; BAC to decide on Tuesday

With Parliament reconvening on Tuesday following the weekend and Eid holiday, he said the timing of the bill's introduction will be decided following consultations after Parliament meets but he wants it passed as soon as possible.

New Delhi: Amid indications that a re-worked Waqf (Amendment) Bill may come up in Lok Sabha as early as Wednesday, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday asked parties to vigorously debate the proposed legislation in Parliament while claiming that “falsehoods” and “lies” spread on the contentious proposal are breaching all records.

The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of Lok Sabha chaired by Speaker Om Birla would meet on Tuesday to discuss the business for the week with sources saying the panel, which has members from government and Opposition, will decide on scheduling the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

Rijiju said the government is fully prepared to table the Bill, which was scrutinised by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, but insisted that the timing of its introduction would be decided after going through a consultation process in Parliament.

He said he could only talk about the schedule for the passage of the Bill on Tuesday.

The Minister's comments came hours after Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) followed by its national body Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) urged MPs to support the contentious Bill, which has invited opposition from various parties and Muslim organisations.

There has been speculation about whether the Modi government would bring the Bill, which was reworked incorporating the suggestions of the JPC, in the Budget Session ending this Friday, amid concerns that it may go against the NDA's prospects in Bihar where ally JD(U) enjoys considerable support among Muslim communities.

Besides JD(U), N Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP is also learnt to have expressed concerns about the Bill and wanted to go slow on the Bill. The Bill had faced vociferous objections from the Opposition MPs in the JPC, which accepted amendments by NDA MPs but rejected those from others.

Sources said even if the Bill is passed by Lok Sabha, where it may come up first, it would be difficult for the government to get it cleared in Rajya Sabha due to paucity of time.

However, a section claimed that the government may only introduce the Bill during the Session and get it passed in the Monsoon Session, which usually starts in the third week of July.

Rijiju, who also handles Parliamentary Affairs, told reporters that some parties and organisations are "resorting to lies to mislead society and stoke tensions" and urged them to desist from such measures.

He claimed Muslims were urged to wear black armbands during Eid and hit the streets in protest, which he said was not good. He also rubbished allegations that the government intends to snatch mosques and graveyards if the bill becomes a law, calling it propaganda.

Rijiju claimed that a similar propaganda was unleashed against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and asked if a single Muslim has lost citizenship since the law came into existence. Only a few leaders who have exploited Waqf properties for personal gains are against it, he alleged.