Waqf Amendment Bill: Huge uproar in JPC meet, opposition MPs write to Speaker Birla

New Delhi, Oct 15 (IANS) A meeting of Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) held on Tuesday to discuss the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 saw intense confrontations between ruling and opposition MPs, leading to a temporary walkout by opposition members.

The friction arose when opposition MPs alleged that they were not given a fair opportunity to speak. They were miffed over the conduct of the ruling party MPs.

Despite their initial exit, the opposition later rejoined the meeting.

Opposition MPs in the JPC sent a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accusing JPC Chairman Jagdambika Pal of violating parliamentary norms during the meeting on October 14.

According to the letter, Pal allowed former Karnataka State Minority Commission chairman Anwar Manipady to make allegations against Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, without giving opposition members sufficient time to counter the claims. They urged Speaker Birla to intervene and remind the chairman of his obligations under the parliamentary rules.

During the Tuesday meeting, which included a presentation by officials from the Union Minority Ministry, tensions flared again. A heated exchange erupted between opposition leaders Gaurav Gogoi and Kalyan Banerjee, and BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey, Dilip Saikia, and Abhijit Gangopadhyay. The opposition accused the ruling party MPs of using abusive language, prompting their brief walkout before they returned to resume discussions.

The last meeting of the JPC on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was held on September 6. The meeting included presentations from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Zakat Foundation of India, and the Telangana Waqf Board.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 8 following a heated debate, was later referred to a JPC. The JPC is conducting discussions with various stakeholders, which are supposed to continue.

The Waqf Bill seeks to reform the management of waqf properties, but some provisions have drawn criticism.

--IANS

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