New Delhi, April 4: The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha in the wee hours of Friday after a marathon debate, involving heated exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches. The Upper House debated the bill for nearly 14 hours and then cleared it with 128 votes in favour and 95 against.

The legislation was earlier cleared by the Lok Sabha after nearly 12 hours debate, with 288 votes in favour and 232 against.

With this, both the Houses have cleared the decks for amendments in the Waqf Bill of 1995 and repealing the Mussalman Wakf Act of 1923.

The next course of action is the Presidential assent for the bill, following which it will turn into a law.

The Bill will be sent to President Droupadi Murmu soon and her approval will pave the way for amending the 1995 laws, governing Waqf properties.

According to a leading portal, the government is expecting a smaller window for the approval, unlike the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The NDA government, which is projecting the Waqf Amendment Bill as one of key milestone decision in first year of Modi 3.0 is expected to notify it for implementation, soon after getting President’s nod.

Interestingly, one of the major highlights of Rajya Sabha voting last night, was Biju Janata Dal (BJD)’s stand on the contentious bill.

As per the numbers of NDA and INDIA bloc, the bill was expected to sail through in Rajya Sabha but with a lower margin as compared to Lok Sabha. NDA was expected to get support of 123 MPs but ended up securing 128 votes in favour while INDIA bloc ended at 95 (as against expected figure of 98).

Hours before the voting, Naveen Patknaik-led BJD opened the gates for “conscience vote’, telling its 7 MPs that they would not be bound by a whip and could vote for whichever side they wanted.

Some BJD MPs cross-voted in favour of NDA, there bettering its tally than earlier expected. A total of 119 votes was needed for the bill to get through but BJP’s efficient floor management helped it secure 128 votes.

Meanwhile, Congress has stated that it will challenge the constitutionality of the Waqf legislation in the Supreme Court.

“The INC will very soon be challenging in the Supreme Court the constitutionality of the Wakf (Amendment) Bill, 2024,” he wrote in a post on X.

Jammu, April 4: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir from April 6 to hold security review meetings and inaugurate development projects.

The Home Minister will chair two important security review meetings and will also virtually inaugurate some developmental projects.

HM Shah, as per sources, will hold a meeting with the BJP MLAs in Jammu on April 6. He will take feedback from the BJP MLAs, especially about the budget session of the Legislative Assembly, which will resume on April 7 after a 12-day break. The session is scheduled to adjourn sine die on April 9.

The performance of the BJP MLAs in the Assembly during the first budget session of the present government will come up for review during the meeting.

He will review the political situation in the union territory with the party MLAs. Shah will be in Jammu till the afternoon of April 7 and then proceed to Srinagar. He will return to Delhi on April 8. Minister of State (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh will join the home minister in Jammu.

Amit Shah is scheduled to undertake a tour of the International Border in Jammu. He will meet the family members of police martyrs.

Two terrorists were killed, and four police personnel were martyred in the Kathua encounter last week.

In Srinagar, the home minister will chair two separate security review meetings of Unified Headquarters and the annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Yatra.

He will be dedicating a number of multi-crore projects to the people of the UT through virtual inauguration and a foundation stone laying ceremony.

During Shah’s Unified Headquarters meeting, a strategy for ensuring zero infiltration and the elimination of terrorists from the mountains and forests of the Jammu region besides the Kashmir Valley will be reviewed, sources said.

Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, MHA officials dealing with Jammu and Kashmir, heads of Intelligence agencies and paramilitary forces will also join Amit Shah in security review meetings.

The second security review meeting will be held exclusively for security and other arrangements for the annual Shri Amarnath Yatra, scheduled to start on July 3 and end on August 9.

The Home Minister will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multi-crore projects virtually from Srinagar.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will also be joining the function for the dedication of developmental projects by HM Shah.

The CM is likely to have a separate meeting with the Home Minister.

Mumbai: Mumbai Economic Branch (EOW) has also started property seizure proceedings in the case of embezzlement of crores of rupees from New India Cooperative Bank. EOW said that after identifying the properties obtained from the embezzled amount, it has been attached and seized. 5 accused have been arrested in this case and 21 immovable properties of these accused have been found, which have been allowed to be confiscated.

This is the first action under 107 BNSS in Mumbai city in which the property of the accused has been seized. Mumbai AOW said that the amount recovered from the seized properties will also be estimated. After the bank scam in Mumbai, EOW has taken major action and details of other properties of the accused are also being investigated.