• Source:JND
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The Parliament is likely to face an intense showdown on Wednesday as the government is set to table the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Lok Sabha. The Congress has issued a whip for its MPs, directing them to attend the Parliament for the next three days. Union Minister of Minority and Parliamentary Affairs, Kiran Rijiju, stated that the bill would be introduced after the Question Hour, followed by a comprehensive 8-hour debate. 

The BJP-led NDA currently holds 293 MPs in the 542-member Lok Sabha, giving it the numbers to pass the bill in the lower house. However, opposition parties may attempt to sway BJP allies, such as the JDU and TDP, to vote against the bill, potentially complicating its passage.

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Updates:

- Congress leader KC Venugopal said the INDIA bloc has unanimously decided to oppose the bill. He said it was a targeted legislation and was fundamentally against the Constitutional provisions

- Both Opposition and NDA parties– including BJP, SP, Shiv Sena, TDP and Lok Jan Shakti Party– have issued whips directing their lawmakers to remain present in the house during voting on the bill 

-  All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has urged ‘secular parties’, including BJP allies, to oppose the bill in Parliament

- The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has opposed the bill, alleging that the ruling party was bringing it to divert attention from real issues like "falling rupee", inflation and unemployment

- The AIADMK has already said that it would vote against the bill. Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal and K Chandrasekhar Rao's Bharat Rashtra Samithi are yet to make their stances known

-  The Waqf Amendment Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in August last year. However, it was sent to JPC after outrage and 14 amendments were adopted in it after months of deliberations

- The bill proposes 40 amendments to the provisions of the Waqf Act. It has suggested modifications such as ensuring representation for Muslim women and non-Muslims in the Waqf boards

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- Earlier today, Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju informed reporters that the Lok Sabha's Business Advisory Committee (BAC), chaired by Speaker Om Birla and comprising leaders from all major parties, had agreed on an eight-hour discussion. However, during the meeting at Parliament House in New Delhi, Congress and several other INDIA bloc members staged a walkout, alleging that the government was suppressing their voices