Joint panel on Waqf Bill to meet today

The joint parliamentary panel on Waqf Amendment Bill will meet on Thursday. It will be the first meeting of the panel after Parliament had given it an extension till the 2025 Budget session to submit its report.

The committee, which is headed by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, has summoned officials of the Minority Affairs Ministry on Thursday to make their representation before it.

Last week, the Lok Sabha had okayed the resolution brought by Pal to extend the tenure of the committee, after several opposition MPs had urged Speaker Om Birla to consider it.

The Congress and other opposition members had also raised the issue during the all-party meeting prior to the commencement of the winter session, urging the government to extend the time of the panel.

They had said several stakeholders were yet to make their representations before the panel and more time was needed to consider all pros and cons of the Bill.

During the previous meeting of the committee, opposition members had walked out from the proceedings after Pal indicated that the panel had prepared its preliminary report. The previous deadline for the panel to submit its report was November 29.