Senior BJP Leader Jagdambika Pal to Lead Review of Controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill

Senior BJP Lok Sabha member Jagdambika Pal has been appointed to head a joint parliamentary committee reviewing the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill, officials said. The bill has faced opposition protests and aims to amend laws related to the management of waqf properties. The committee comprises 31 members from both Houses and will report by the next session.

Senior BJP Lok Sabha member Jagdambika Pal has been appointed to lead the joint parliamentary committee set to scrutinize the disputed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, official sources confirmed on Tuesday.

Following heated opposition protests over the bill's provisions in the Lok Sabha, the government decided to refer the bill for comprehensive review by a joint committee.

The committee consists of 31 members—21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. It will submit its findings by the next parliamentary session.

A motion to form the committee was adopted in both Houses on Friday, led by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who is also responsible for parliamentary affairs.

A formal notification confirming Pal as the committee chairperson is expected soon, officials added.

The committee includes 12 NDA members from the Lok Sabha, with eight from the BJP, and nine members from the opposition. In the Rajya Sabha, the committee features four members from the BJP, four from the opposition, one from the YSRCP—which opposes the bill—and one nominated member.

The bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha last Thursday, has been referred to the joint committee following intense debate. The government claims the bill will not affect mosque operations, while the opposition views it as discriminatory against Muslims and an assault on the Constitution.

The committee's report is due in the Lok Sabha by the end of the first week of the next session, noted Rijiju.

(With inputs from agencies.)