On 29th January, 2025, The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), chaired by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, adopted the draft report and amended version of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, with a majority vote. Of the total committee members, 16 voted in favor of it while 11 opposed the decision.

The bill seeks to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, with an endeavour to address various challenges related to the regulation, administration, and management of waqf properties across the country. While the government argues that the amendments will improve transparency and efficiency, opposition parties have raised concerns about certain provisions, leading to a divided house within the committee.

The committee has set a deadline of 4 PM on 29th January, 2025 for members to submit any dissenting opinions. So far, several opposition leaders like Trinamool Congress MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Nadimul Haque, A Raja of DMK, Sanjay Singh of AAP and Shiv Sena’s (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant have submitted their dissent.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and was referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on August 8, 2024, for further examination.