Waqf Bill to be tabled in Lok Sabha on Thursday; Opposition says send it to Parliamentary panel

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is likely to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday while Opposition parties have demanded that it should be sent to a Parliamentary panel for further scrutiny.

In the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Lok Sabha, chaired by Speaker Om Birla, the government informed that the bill is likely to be introduced on Thursday.

In the meeting, leaders from the Congress, NCP-SCP, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress strongly opposed the bill introduction and said it should be referred to a Parliamentary committee.

The government, official sources said, will not press for the passage of the bill after it is introduced in the Lok Sabha. Whether the bill will be sent to a Parliament panel for scrutiny or not was not decided so far but it cannot be ruled out, a source said.

The bill is being opposed by some Muslim organisations demanding that it be sent to the standing committee which deals with the minority affairs ministry. Since, no such committee been constituted yet. the House may form a panel for the bill.

The bill has already been circulated among the members of Lok Sabha.