LIVE | Rajya Sabha passes Waqf Bill (128-95)

Ahead of the discussion on Waqf Bill, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla rejects charge of Congress MP KC Venugopal that Opposition was not given sufficient time to read the final draft of the reworked Bill and so didn't have sufficient time to move amendments. Birla says he has given same amount of time to both Treasury and Opposition sides to study the Bill and move amendments

RSP MP NK Premchandran says the Bill before the House is not the same Bill that was introduced in Lok Sabha last August because amendments have been made to it by the JPC, which is beyond the competence and powers of a JPC. Premchandran says JPC has no right to make amendments to a Bill, it can only recommend changes.

Birla says he will give a ruling on this later.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah says Premchandran's point of order is misplaced because the Bill before the House has been approved by the Union Cabinet. Shah says JPC only gave suggestions for the Bill and amendments were introduced by the government with approval of the Union Cabinet.

Shah says what was the point of a JPC if Opposition didn't want it to recommend changes?

Birla gives his ruling on Premchandran’s point of order saying JPC has wide-ranging powers to make changes to a Bill, including even the name of the Bill.

The BJD confirms it will vote against the Bill in Rajya Sabha. The party currently has no MPs in Lok Sabha, so its stand against the Bill will have no impact on how the Bill proceeds in the Lower House today.

YSRCP and BRS will oppose Waqf Bill, JD(U) confirms it will vote in the Bill's support. Chirag Paswan's LJP-RV says it has raised concerns with the government on some provisions of the Bill and is confident that they will be addressed when the Bill is taken up in the House.

Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, to initiate debate on Waqf (Amendment) Bill from Congress’ side in Lok Sabha