Likely storm over JPC Waqf Bill Report | J P Gadkari

November 12, 2024

There are indications of Modi-led NDA Govt at the Centre being shaken with one of its supporters, Andhara Pradesh Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu and his TDP opposing the JPC report on Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 being submitted to the Parliament’s Winter session beginning on November 15.

It is expected that the controversial JPC report prepared under the chairmanship of BJP M P Jagdambika Pal is likely to be submitted to Parliament creating a situation against the sentiments of the minority community.

While the views of TDP Leader Naidu on minorities are well known, the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 report is also likely to create an anti-minority atmosphere in quite a few States where Assembly by-elections are due on 13th November 2024.

For example in Karnataka too there are three bypolls taking place where campaigns of opposing parties Congress and BJP-JDS alliance partners is at the peak. Besides, a bitter controversy over issuing of the notices to farmers by Karnataka Waqf Board and the State Govt cancelling them has also been raging during the last couple of weeks. In other States too there are similar cases.

The Waqf Board Amendment Bill 2024 was proposed by the NDA Govt in August this year. The Congress-led opposition had termed it as a "Vendetta politics" against minorities and with strong opposition by other opposition parties, the Bill was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) chaired by BJP M P Jagdambika Pal. But the aggressive stand taken by the State Govt and Waqf Board put the State Govt in Karnataka and Congress on the back foot and weakened its strategy at the National level to oppose the bill.

In Karnataka the issue has created a peculiar situation where many farmers in different districts were issued notices by the Waqf Board which claimed that out of the 1.8 lakhs acres of Waqf properties in the State nearly 85,000 acres have been "illegally occupied " by farmers and others and the Waqf Board asking them to vacate the land immediately.

This action and its earlier action in cancelling all notices sent by the State Waqf Board to encroachers appears to be contradictory to each other and the BJP-JDS Opposition may take advantage of it to attack the Congress Govt in this regard.

Meanwhile Chief Minister Sidaramaih issued an order cancelling all notices issued to farmers and all others by Waqf board. the State Revenue Minister declared that not "even an inch" of land alloted to the farmers will be allowed to be taken away by the Waqf Board.

A very peculiar political situation has developed in Karnataka.

As if to look equaliized in its action being taken by the State Waqf Board, its counter-part the Karnataka Rajya Dharmik Parishad ( the Endowment Board) under the Muzrai department has decided to conduct a survey of all its temples and properties and evict encroachers from its properties.

This action and its earlier action in cancelling all notices sent by the State Waqf Board to encroachers appears to be contradictory to each other and the BJP-JDS Opposition may take advantage of it to attack the Congress Govt in this regard.

While the BJP is keen on curtailing the powers of the Waqf Board, through passing the Amendmemt Bill 2024, the State BJP leadership is accusing the Congress Govt in the State of taking away the "illegally occupied" land from farmers and giving it to the State Waqf Board as a "Gift". The Congress is taking action against its own Waqf Minister B A Zamir Ahmed Khan for issuing notices to "ilegal occupants" of the Waqf land.

The submission of the JPC report to the Parliament and actions being taken in various States will certainly have an effect to an extent on the by-elections being held on 13th November and subsequently the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections being held on 20th November.