NEW DELHI: Representatives of the Dawoodi Bohra community in their deposition before joint parliamentary committee (JPC) scrutinising Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, have contended that the proposed legislation does not recognise their special status & have sought that they should be kept out of the purview of any waqf board.
The Bill that was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Aug 8 and referred to JPC for scrutiny provides for the establishment of a separate board of ‘Auqaf’ for Bohras and Agakhanis, besides providing representation of Shias, Bohras, Agakhanis and backward Muslims in waqf boards.
On Tuesday, opposition members in JPC met LS Speaker Om Birla to register their protest against alleged “unilateral decisions” of panel chairman and BJP MP Jagdambika Pal pertaining to issues like scheduling of sittings and calling witnesses, sources said. Opposition expressed confidence that Birla would step in to reduce the frequency of meetings to allow members to prepare for the sittings. One of the MPs suggested that the meetings be held with a gap of a fortnight. After the meeting, MPs said the Speaker assured them of a decision at the earliest.
Tuesday marked the 14th meeting of the JPC since Aug 22. Senior advocate Harish Salve appeared for Anjuman e Shiateali Dawoodi Bohra community. The community, according to sources, in a written submission noted that it is a “small and tightly-knit” denomination and its affairs do not need the kind of regulation that may be considered necessary or even desirable in relation to other denominations that do not believe in any such religious tenet.
The power of waqf board undermines the community’s founding faith, it claimed, citing various SC judgments to underscore the judiciary’s recognition of their “distinctive structure”, sources said.