New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS): At the first meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, on Thursday, several opposition members of the panel claimed that provisions of the Bill violate the laws of freedom of expression, religious freedom, and equality.

The opposition members raised questions over various clauses mentioned in the Bill, in particular the proposal to empower District Collectors to decide on the ownership of a disputed property, as well as including non-Muslims as members of the Waqf boards.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) met for the first time on Thursday to discuss the Waqf (Amendment) Bill introduced by the Modi government during the recently concluded Parliament session on August 8.

The joint panel under the chairmanship of BJP MP Jagdambika Pal includes 31 MPs -- 21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.

The opposition members present at Thursday's meeting included Naseer Hussain and Gourav Gogoi from the Congress; Trinamool's Kalyan Banerjee; V. Vijaysai Reddy from the YSR Congress Party; AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi; A. Raja from the DMK; Arun Bharti from the LJP; AAP's Sanjay Singh; and Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu from the TDP.

According to Jagadambika Pal, the Bill is being discussed in detail, especially the 44 amendments mentioned in it.

At the meeting, the opposition members raised several questions regarding the Bill, claiming that it would violate the religious freedom as provided in the Indian Constitution, sources said.

The JPC, which will meet next on August 30, will submit its report during the Winter Session of the Parliament.

After the meeting, Vijaysai Reddy from the YSRCP said in a post on X: "In line with the decision of our party president Sri@ysjagan (Jagan Mohan Reddy), and the party’s official stand, the Waqf Board Amendment Bill was opposed by me in today’s meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) with a rationale.

"This Bill has many concerns of various stakeholders and is not acceptable in its current form. As a member of the JPC, I would like to hear from all the stakeholders and be your voice in the committee. If there are any concerns, or objections that you have, you can email me at venumbaka.vr@sansad.nic.in.

"I will put forth the concerns before the committee by way of a 'dissenting note' which will form part of a permanent record in the annals of History."

While the Centre claims the Bill does not interfere with the functioning of mosques, the opposition parties are calling it a move to interfere with the religious freedom of the Muslim community.

There are around 30 Waqf boards in India, managing properties that cover over 9 lakh acres of land, with an estimated value of Rs 1.2 lakh crore, making them the third-largest landowners in the country after the Indian Railways and the Defence Ministry.