New Delhi [India], January 24 : Jagdambika Pal, chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee of using "unparliamentary" language against him. He said that the house was adjourned twice due to the alleged ruckus created by the opposition leaders, who have been suspended from the JPC meeting.
Pal said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey moved a motion to suspend the opposition MPs for creating a "ruckus" after they resorted to "shouting" and "sloganeering" while not allowing the meeting to continue.
"We adjourned the house twice. We had given time to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on the suggestions of the opposition only. Kalyan Banerjee used unparliamentary words against me and abused me. I kept requesting him to let the invitees speak. However, they were adamant about creating a ruckus. We adjourned the house again and again but they (opposition MPs) did not want the meeting to continue. From Jammu and Kashmir, a delegation had come but they (opposition MPs) kept shouting and sloganeering...so finally Nishikant Dubey had to move a motion and everyone agreed to suspend them," Jagdambika Pal told ANI.
Responding to allegations of changing the subject of the notice for the JPC sitting, Pal said that the agenda was changed only for today and considering the requests made by the opposition, who wanted Kashmiri cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to be invited to the meeting.
"We changed the agenda for today only on the request of the opposition leaders who contacted me saying that Mirwaiz should be invited and shifted today's agenda (to hold a discussion clause-by-clause to January 27," Pal added.
Responding to the allegations of rushing the proceedings for the JPC meeting owing to Delhi assembly elections, the senior BJP leader said that it was Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju who urged the speaker to refer the bill to JPC and not the opposition.
"If the government wanted to hasten things, why would it refer the bill to JPC? The government has a majority in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The opposition didn't, but Kiren Rijiju, after introducing it in the Parliament, himself urged the speaker to refer the bill to JPC," Pal said, adding, "Mirwaiz and his delegation expressed their concerns and raised objections to certain sections (of the bill). This shows that the parliamentary democracy in the country is being strengthened."
Earlier in the day, all the Opposition MPs that are part of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, were suspended from Friday's sitting. The suspended MPs include Mohammad Jawaid, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kalyan Banerjee, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader A Raja, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Nasir Hussain, Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders Mohibbullah Nadvi, M. Abdullah, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Arvind Sawant, Nadimul Haque, and Congress' Imran Masood.
"What is going on is an undeclared emergency," Banerjee asserted while referring to the happenings inside the JPC meeting. He said that the subject and dates for the meeting were changed after they landed in Delhi for the meet. The TMC MP accused the government of "hurrying" owing to the upcoming Assembly polls in the national capital, which are scheduled to be held on February 5.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey accused the Opposition of creating a "ruckus" during the JPC meeting, saying that their conduct was against parliamentary democracy. He informed the next meeting will happen on January 27 and submission to the Speaker will happen on January 29.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is to submit its report during the Budget session. The term of the committee was extended during the winter session of Parliament.
The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments.
The Budget session of Parliament will commence on January 31 and continue till April 4, with the Union Budget to be presented on February 1.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to address these challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.