Today, both houses of Parliament witnessed a massive uproar after the NDA government presented the report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Bill.
Opposition MPs, including Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge, had claimed that portions of dissent notes were removed from the final report.
Home Minister Amit Shah said: “The BJP has no objection to the addition of any dissenting notes.” According to India Today, the proceedings were marred by opposition protests, and eventually, the opposition MPs staged a walkout.
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In the upper house of the parliament, the report on the bill was tabled by BJP MP Medha Kulkarni; despite the ruckus in the house, the report was accepted by the House.
Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar was forced to adjourn the house amid massive protests from opposition MPs.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, claimed that the dissent remarks have been deleted from the JPC report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. Calling it condemnable and anti-democratic, Kharge urged Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to reject the report and send it back.
Kiren Rijiju refuted the allegations made by Opposition MPs, saying, “There has been no deletion… Don’t mislead the House. As per the rules, all Opposition MPs took part in making the report. All allegations are false.”
Later Opposition MPs staged a walkout in Rajya Sabha demanding the JPC report on Waqf (Amendment) Bill be sent back to JPC.
According to PRS legislative research, The Bill changes the composition of the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards to include non-Muslim members.
The Survey Commissioner has been replaced by the Collector, who has been granted the power to conduct surveys of waqf properties.
Government property identified as waqf will cease to be waqf. Collector will determine ownership of such properties.
The finality of the Tribunal’s decisions has been revoked. The Bill provides for direct appeal to the High Court.
Besides, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the new Income Tax Bill 2025 in the Lok Sabha.
The Income Tax Bill 2025 will now be referred to the Select Committee of Lok Sabha for further review.
After evaluation, the committee will give its recommendation, and the Income Tax Bill 2025 will then be sent back to the government through the cabinet.
Post this, the cabinet will consider the recommendations, and the I-T bill will again go to the Parliament.
The bill will replace the Income Tax Act of 1961 and aims to simplify and modernise India’s tax system.
According to Economic Times, It will also simplify legal language so that taxpayers can easily understand the provisions.
The bill will not introduce new taxes. Instead, it will focus on simplifying tax laws, reducing legal complexities, and making compliance easier for taxpayers.
The second part of the budget session will reconvene on March 10 and continue till April 4.
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