Waqf (Amendment) Bill to be tabled at noon on April 2, eight hours allocated for discussion: Kiren Rijiju

Speaking to the press, the Minister for Minority Affairs said: "Some members wanted six hours, others wanted four hours. However, the Opposition demanded 12 hours for the discussion, but a broad consensus was reached for an eight-hour-long discussion on the bill."

New Delhi: The Waqf (Amendment) Bill will be tabled in the Lok Sabha on April 2 (Wednesday) soon after the Question Hour and will be followed by a comprehensive and detailed discussion extending up to eight hours, said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday.

Speaking to the press, the Minister for Minority Affairs said: “Some members wanted six hours, others wanted four hours. However, the Opposition demanded 12 hours for the discussion, but a broad consensus was reached for an eight-hour-long discussion on the bill.”

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”Depending on the sense of the House, the Speaker could take the decision to extend it as well,” he added. The Lok Sabha is expected to witness a stormy session on Wednesday, as Opposition members are set to make a strong pushback over the contentious bill.

A teaser of the likely showdown over the Waqf Bill was witnessed during the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting on Tuesday, as pointed out by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister.

Rijiju told the press that even as the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced an eight-hour debate on the Waqf Bill, the Opposition mounted a protest and even staged a walkout. Parliamentary Affairs Minister also accused the Opposition of resorting to fearmongering and using walk-outs as a tactic to avoid discussion on the Bill.

He said that the government is keenly looking for detailed discussion on the Bill as all parties should get adequate time to raise their reservations on the contentious clauses.

“Some parties are deliberately trying to create chaos over the bill and, also making excuses to run away from the debate. Nation wants to hear out the objections to this Bill,” he pointed out.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister also took note of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) extending support to the bill and welcomed their support.

Notably, various Catholic bodies in Kerala, including the Kerala Council of Churches, have extended support to the bill and urged Parliamentarians across party lines to back the bill, so as to allow the government to regulate the operations of Waqf properties and also settle disputes in a transparent manner.