New Delhi [India], January 24 : After being suspended from the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the opposition MPs on Friday reacted sharply, alleging that the dates for the meeting were announced without prior notice. They also claimed that the government's actions were violating the equality principles enshrined in the Constitution.
Reacting to his suspension, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi told ANI, "The Waqf Bill is a sensitive issue. If the government wants to bulldoze it and bring it to the Parliament via JPC, then it will have adverse effects, legally and on a particular community. The proposed amendments are not to save Waqf's properties but to destroy them... The process to submit the committee report has been started haphazardly... This is a sensitive Bill and its results are going to be far-reaching. But the way BJP wants to do it, the process is wrong... We request the Lok Sabha Speaker to intervene in this matter..."
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee told ANI, "... What will the Speaker do? The entire show is run by two persons. Those who are sitting everywhere have no power to do anything..."
Samajwadi Party MP from Rampur, Mohibbullah Nadvi remarked that democratic values have been compromised.
"It is unfortunate that BJP is trying to bulldoze our concept of Waqf, a religious matter of Muslims. It feels like it is the end of democratic values and we are not following the Constitution... The equality enshrined in the preamble of our constitution is being bulldozed," he told ANI.
Congress MP from Saharanpur, Imran Masood told ANI, "Constitutional traditions are not being followed. The Waqf Amendment Bill is not to save the Waqf but to destroy it. They are introducing the bill as part of their political agenda..."
Opposition MPs also wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and asked the Chairman to postpone the next scheduled meeting on January 27.
"...When the meeting started today at 11.00 AM, we the members of opposition vehemently raised our voice with utmost respect against the way of conducting the business by the Chairman. We highlighted the unilateral as well as unfair manner of functioning of JPC by ignoring the due process contemplated in the rules. It is respectfully submitted that since the erstwhile served notice scheduled for the meeting on 24th and 25th, we the members designed our programmes in the Constituency/States from 27 to 30th as the Parliament Session starts on 31st and thereby prayed for postponement of the 27th meeting. While we put forth these reasonable claims in a civilsed manner to the Chairman, he has not even attempted to respond. As we all felt humiliated, we stood and raised our voices democratically to hear our demands. Meanwhile, the Chairman spoke on the phone with somebody and suddenly and surprisingly, he ordered our suspension by shouting...A comprehensive study is essentially needed by the JPC to address these issues raised by the stakeholders in a holistic manner. In these circumstances rushing the proceedings of the JPC without application of the mind by the Chairman is nothing but a riddle wrapped with hidden malice. It is our opinion that the Chairman of a JPC does not have the power to suspend the members of the Committee. It is therefore prayed that the Chairman of the JPC may kindly be instructed to conduct the proceedings transparently and fairly. The Chairman should postpone the 27th meeting so that the opposition members can get the adequate time and opportunity to put forth our plea/claims without any departure from the rules and procedure to ensure the Parliament democracy on which the Nation still has faith," read the letter.
The JPC meeting on Waqf Bill on Friday witnessed a ruckus.
Jagdambika Pal, chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, accused 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.
"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.
The suspended MPs include Mohammad Jawaid, Kalyan Banerjee, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader A Raja, 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.
The JPC on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is expected to submit its report during the Budget session, with the committee's term 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.