Senior BJP MP Jagdambika Pal has been appointed the chairman of the Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC), which will examine the Wakf (Amendment) Bill. In an exclusive conversation with Aaj Tak, Jagdambika Pal said that the Wakf Amendment Bill is not being shelved but the JPC will submit its report in the first week of the next session.
In a special conversation with Aaj Tak, Jagdambika Pal said that if the government wanted, it could have brought the bill and passed it in two hours. We had a majority in the House. But this issue has been taken to the JPC so that the consent of all people can be taken. This step has been taken to know the concerns of the opposition, Waqf, everyone.
Jagadambika Pal said that the Lok Sabha Speaker has said that we have to submit the JPC report by the first week of the next session. There is 3 months time, so everyone wants a good law to be made, good amendments to come. He said that there is no question of this bill being shelved. The first meeting of the JPC is on August 22. In this, we will listen to everyone’s views.
He said that amendments keep coming, but if there is any doubt in the minds of the people, any amendment or suggestion, then it should come forward.
He said that the JPC meeting is so good that its confidentiality is not breached. Everyone will put forward their views and everyone’s only aim will be that the common people should benefit from it. We are confident that this will be a good bill.
He said that all the members appointed in JPC are responsible people. I talk to everyone and since I have been given the responsibility, we would definitely want to reach a consensus. Let us tell you that there are 31 members in the joint committee – 21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.
Let us tell you that the bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha and after a heated debate, it was sent to a joint committee of Parliament, in which the government said that the proposed law does not intend to interfere in the functioning of mosques and the opposition called it targeting Muslims and an attack on the Constitution.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)