New Delhi: Senior BJP Lok Sabha member Jagdambika Pal has been appointed as the chairperson of the joint committee of Parliament tasked with examining the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The announcement came through a Lok Sabha notification issued on Tuesday, stating that Speaker Om Birla had selected Pal to lead the 31-member committee.
The decision to refer the Bill to a joint committee of both Houses was made by the government in response to strong Opposition protests in the Lok Sabha regarding its provisions. The committee, comprising 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha, is expected to submit its report by the next Parliamentary session.
Pal, a 73-year-old fourth-term MP from Uttar Pradesh, is known for his cordial relations across party lines, making him a strategic choice for this sensitive role. The committee’s composition reflects a balance of political representation, with 12 members from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Lower House, including eight from the BJP, and nine from the Opposition. The Upper House representation includes four BJP members, four Opposition members, one from the YSRCP (which opposes the Bill), and one nominated member.
Union Minority Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, who also holds the Parliamentary affairs portfolio, moved the motion naming the committee members, which was adopted by both Houses last Friday. The Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha last Thursday, sparked a heated debate. While the government maintains that the proposed law does not intend to interfere with mosque operations, the Opposition argues that it targets Muslims and undermines the Constitution.