Patna: Parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, a close aide of CM Nitish Kumar, on Friday welcomed the Centre’s decision to send the Waqf (Amendment) Bill to a joint parliamentary committee for scrutiny. He said the move was necessary given the “apprehensions among the minority community about the Bill”.
“Right since the Bill came into focus, there were various apprehensions among the minority class people.It was in this situation that the minority welfare minister on behalf of the govt itself proposed to send it to the joint select committee for in-depth review and discussion. This was appropriate and logical,” Choudhary said in a written statement on Friday.
Choudhary said Nitish has consistently believed that issues related to minorities should be handled with care and sensitivity to eliminate any confusion or doubt. “The state govt has launched a number of schemes for the welfare of the minority community, which has had a positive impact on society,” he said, stressing that “the apprehensions of the minority community about the Bill must be addressed before it is finalized”.
The minister also urged minority organisations to communicate their concerns to the committee. “But at the same time, if any amendment is in the interest of the Waqf Board and is for the betterment of the minority class, then this must also be taken note of,” Choudhary added.
The Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, was referred to a joint parliamentary panel after a heated debate. The govt maintained that the proposed law does not intend to interfere with the functioning of mosques, while the opposition accused it of targeting Muslims and undermining the Constitution.
A particularly contentious aspect of the Bill is the proposal to designate the district collector as the primary authority in determining whether a property is classified as waqf or govt land, which has sparked opposition protests.

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