Parliament Set For Waqf Bill Standoff, Govt Talks Tough As Opposition Walks Out Of Key Meet
Rijiju made the announcement after a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill will be taken up for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, with an 8-hour discussion allocated for its deliberation.
Rijiju made the announcement after a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
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Speaking to the media after the meeting, Rijiju said, “In the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of Lok Sabha, I had proposed before the committee that tomorrow on 2nd April, we are bringing the Waqf Amendment Bill and for that we have to allocate time for discussion."
Parliamentary Affairs Minister added that, after deliberations, it was agreed that the total time allocated for the discussion would be eight hours, with the possibility of an extension depending on the consensus of the House. “If the House feels that the time for discussion should be extended, then the time can be extended," Rijiju continued.
“But if they (opposition) do not want to participate in the discussion by making some excuse, then I cannot stop it. We want discussion. Every political party has the right to express its opinion and the country wants to hear which political party has what stand on the amendment bill," he added.
The Union Minister further clarified that the Waqf Bill will be introduced immediately after the Question Hour on Wednesday, followed by the eight hours of allocated discussion.
The discussion on the Waqf Amendment Bill sparked disagreement between the government and the opposition during the BAC meeting. While the opposition parties demanded 12 hours for discussion, the government proposed a shorter time frame due to another important issue to be discussed—the statutory resolution denouncing the imposition of central rule in Manipur. As a result, the government limited the discussion on the Waqf Bill to eight hours.
This disagreement led to a heated exchange during the meeting, and the opposition members subsequently walked out in protest.
According to PTI, Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to respond to the debate on the issue of Manipur.
The opposition parties have strongly criticised the Waqf Amendment Bill, calling it unconstitutional and accusing the government of acting against the interests of the Muslim community.
Several leading Muslim organisations have been vocal in rallying support against the bill, which they argue undermines the Waqf management and disproportionately affects the Muslim community.
(With inputs from PTI)
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