The AIMPLB demonstrations were held barely a kilometre away from the Vidhan Sabha premises, to demand rollback of the Bill brought by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and to request “secular” leaders like Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to reconsider “support” to the contentious legislation.The AIMPLB’s 31-member Action Committee has resolved to adopt all constitutional, legal and democratic means to oppose the bill, which it has described as “controversial, discriminatory and damaging”.Major rallies are scheduled to be held in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Malerkotla (Punjab) and Ranchi, the AIMPLB had said in a statement.The AIMPLB’s statement comes after Parliament’s joint committee submitted its report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.Though not listed yet, there is speculation that the proposed legislation could be brought for passage in Parliament during the ongoing Budget Session.The 31-member panel on the Bill, after multiple sittings and hearings, suggested several amendments to the proposed legislation even as the opposition members disagreed with the report and submitted dissent notes.The 655-page report was submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on January 30.The joint committee adopted the report that contained changes suggested by members of the ruling BJP by a 15-11 majority vote.The move prompted the opposition to dub the exercise an attempt to destroy Waqf boards.The Bill was referred to the joint committee on August 8 last year following its introduction in the Lok Sabha by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
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