Monday’s internal meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs was convened ahead of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024 which was held at the residence of Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by prominent NDA members like JPC chairperson Jagdambika Pal, BJP MPs Dilip Saikia, Aprajita Sarangi, Sanjay Jaiswal, Nishikant Dubey, Arun Bharati, Naresh Mhaske and Sudha Kulkarni.
Key aspects of the Waqf Amendment Bill that seek to confront the Waqf properties regulation and management in the country were discussed. During the JPC meeting, Rijiju also underlined the importance of unity among NDA members in view of disruptions witnessed during the previous session. Sources said Rijiju asked MPs to stand in a uniformed front against opposition attempts to torpedo the talks.
MP from Shiv Sena Naresh Mhaske, speaking about the meeting, said, “We had an informal discussion over tea with our NDA leader Kiren Rijuju. However, opposition parties such as AIMIM, Congress, and AAP are staging protests, casting themselves as champions of minority rights. The reason they are doing this is to gain support from Muslim communities. It’s all drama.”
The Waqf Amendment Bill is scheduled to be taken up clause by clause in the JPC meeting slated at 11 am on Monday. But the bill has generated a massive uproar, with opposition and ruling party MPs submitting 444 amendments. The proposed changes highlight how some see Waqf properties managed and create a further layer of tension in the discussions.
The bill triggered heated arguments and prompted disruptions at the previous meeting. Now, the government is trying to manage these challenges as the committee holds productive deliberations.
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