Lok Sabha to take up Waqf bill on Wednesday, RS next day; TDP, JD(U) issue whips for support

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha will take up the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill for discussion and passage on Wednesday, setting the stage for a showdown between a government determined to push it through and an opposition united in condemning the proposed law as unconstitutional.

Rajya Sabha is expected to take it up on Thursday, with the two Houses allocated eight hours each for debating the proposed law.

Some BJP allies, sources said, continue to push for more changes in the bill. A senior member of a BJP ally expressed hope that the saffron party will accommodate their views, stressing that some of their concerns were addressed by the Joint Committee of Parliament which scrutinised the bill.

However, he emphasised that the NDA will remain united on the issue. TDP and JD(U), the two biggest constituents of the NDA after the BJP, issued whips to their MPs asking them to support the government stand.

The opposition INDIA bloc also presented a united face on Wednesday as its parties discussed their joint strategy to oppose the bill at a meeting in the Parliament House.

Minorities and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters that the Lok Sabha's business advisory committee (BAC), which includes leaders from all major parties, chaired by Speaker Om Birla agreed on an eight-hour debate, which could be extended after taking the sense of the House.

The early signs of a likely raucous debate between the treasury and opposition benches over the bill were visible during the meeting as the Congress and several other opposition INDIA bloc members walked out of the meeting, accusing the government of stifling their voice.

However, the political heat and length of the debate are unlikely to have any bearing on the final outcome as the numbers heavily favour the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Lok Sabha.

Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi alleged that their voices were being ignored and said the opposition parties wanted more time to debate and the House to take up more issues, including the situation in Manipur and the row over electors' photo identity card.

Rijiju said several parties wanted four to six hours of debate, while those from the opposition demanded 12 hours. He noted that the allotted period of eight hours can be extended if the House feels so on Wednesday.

The Rajya Sabha BAC met later where it was decided to have a discussion on the bill on Thursday, by when the Lower House is expected to deliver its verdict.

AIMIM member Asaduddin Owaisi, a sharp critic of the bill, told reporters that he will put forth his view during the debate to show how "unconstitutional" it is. This bill is aimed at curbing the religious freedom of Muslims, he alleged, adding that people will teach BJP's allies like TDP and JD(U) a lesson.

The NDA has 293 MPs in the Lower House with a current strength of 542, and the BJP has often been successful in pulling the support of independent members and parties.

Some major BJP allies like the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Janata Dal (United) and Chirag Paswan-led LJP (Ramvilas) had expressed reservations over some aspects of the bill but have since become more agreeable after the parliamentary committee adopted a few of their suggestions, official sources have said.

Several parties, including the BJP and the Congress, have issued whips to their MPs, asking them to ensure their presence in the House and support their party's official stand.

While the number game is more even in the Rajya Sabha, it is still in favour of the BJP-led NDA. The Upper House is expected to take up the bill for passage after it gets the nod of the Lok Sabha.

After the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, the Church of Bharat on Tuesday extended its support to the bill, boosting the government's efforts to dispel the bid to portray the proposed law as its alleged larger anti-minority agenda.

While introducing the bill last year, the government had referred it to a joint committee of the two Houses.

After the report was submitted by the panel, the Union Cabinet had approved certain changes to the original bill based on the committee's recommendation.

Rijiju said immediately after Question Hour which concludes at 12 noon, he will move the bill for consideration and passage.

Hitting out at the opposition, he claimed that some parties are trying to create excuses to run away from the discussion.

Gogoi said the opposition stormed out of the BAC meeting as the government was bulldozing through its agenda. There is no space for the opposition, he alleged.

The INDIA bloc parties discussed their strategy at the meeting attended by a number of senior leaders including Congress' Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal, Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav, NCP's Supriya Sule, TMC's Kalyan Banerjee and AAP's Sanjay Singh.

DMK's T R Baalu, Tiruchi Siva and Kanimozhi, RJD's Manoj Kumar Jha, CPI-M's John Brittas, SPI's Sandosh Kumar P, RSP's N K Premchandran and MDMK leader Vaiko were also present in the meeting.

Opposition parties are strongly opposed to the bill, slamming it as unconstitutional and against the interest of the Muslim community. Several leading Muslim organisations have been rallying support against the bill.

The government has said the bill seeks to improve the management and administration of Waqf properties in India by bringing transparency and efficiency in their management.