Waqf Bill: 10 Oppn MPs suspended after uproar at Parl panel meeting

NEW DELHI: Ten opposition MPs were suspended for a day on Friday following chaos during the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waqf (Amendment Bill), 2024.

The suspended MPs include Kalyan Banerjee, Md Jawaid, A. Raja, Asaduddin Owaisi, Nasir Hussain, Mohibullah, M. Abdullah, Arvind Sawant, Nadimul Haq, and Imran Masood.

After the meeting, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee criticised the committee’s chairman, Jagdambika Pal, for allegedly disregarding opposition voices. Banerjee accused Pal of conducting the proceedings in a manner akin to “zamindari,” implying an authoritarian approach.

“We repeatedly requested the meeting be held on January 30 and 31, but our requests were ignored. When we landed in Delhi last night, the subject of the meeting was changed. Initially, we were informed that the meeting would proceed clause by clause. What is happening inside feels like an undeclared emergency. They are rushing through things because of the Delhi elections—it is politically motivated. The chairman doesn’t listen to anyone; it feels like ‘zamindari.’ They show no respect for opposition members. This JPC has become a farce,” Banerjee said.

The suspended MPs have written to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking fair conduct of the proceedings.

“As we all felt humiliated, we stood and raised our voices democratically to have our demands heard. Meanwhile, the chairman spoke on the phone with somebody and, suddenly and surprisingly, he ordered our suspension while shouting,” the suspended MPs said in their letter to the Speaker.

“The amendments proposed in the Bill are not only connected with the huge land banks of the Waqf Boards across the country but are also relevant to judicial pronouncements of the High Courts and Supreme Court,” they added.

“Statutes and rules enacted by various state governments in this regard are also being challenged, leading to conflicts of interest. Hence, a comprehensive study is essentially needed by the JPC to address these issues in a holistic manner. In these circumstances, rushing the proceedings of the JPC without proper application of mind by the chairman is nothing but a riddle wrapped in hidden malice,” the MPs said.

Amid the committee’s attempts to prepare for adopting its draft report next week, the appearance of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a moderate Hurriyat leader and religious head of Muslims in Kashmir, before the panel to voice his disapproval of the proposed law was the highlight of the meeting. However, this occurred only after noisy protests by opposition members disrupted proceedings, leading to their suspension.

Opposition MPs alleged that Jagdambika Pal, the committee’s chairman, was steamrolling the agenda at the government’s behest, keeping in mind the February 5 Delhi polls.

They later wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, requesting that Pal postpone the January 27 meeting and consult other members about the next date and agenda.

Pal accused opposition members, particularly Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, of hurling abuses and insults at him in their bid to derail the proceedings. “They broke all boundaries,” he said.

The suspension applied only to Friday, and opposition MPs will be allowed to attend the next meeting. The January 27 meeting is set to consider the Bill clause by clause before finalising the report.

Opposition MPs have sought more time to frame their views after studying stakeholder submissions.

These members, including Banerjee, DMK’s A. Raja, Congress’ Nasir Hussain, and BJP MPs, traded allegations. The opposition insisted they protested in a civil manner after failing to get a response from Pal.

BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi termed Banerjee’s conduct, often the most vocal opposition member, as “disgusting” and alleged that opposition members created a ruckus to sabotage the meeting.

Banerjee said Pal informed members on January 21, when the committee was in Lucknow meeting stakeholders, that the next meetings would be held on January 24-25. Raja wrote on behalf of opposition MPs, requesting the chairman to schedule the meeting after January 30 or 31, but his request was denied.

He also alleged that the agenda of Friday’s meeting was changed late on Thursday and communicated to members close to midnight.

“The chairman is treating opposition members as domestic helps and ordering them around,” Banerjee alleged. He further claimed that Pal received several phone calls during the meeting and accused him of taking orders from senior government officials.

Pal defended himself, stating that he was steering the committee in the most democratic manner and allowed every opposition MP to express their views. He added that the January 26 meeting was the 35th on the subject and that he adjourned proceedings twice to restore order. Pal said he was ultimately forced to suspend the MPs on a motion moved by BJP member Nishikant Dubey due to the “ruckus.”

Official sources said the committee might adopt its final report on January 29.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was referred to the joint committee of Parliament on August 8 following its introduction in the Lok Sabha by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.

The Bill aims to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to address issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties.

The committee was initially tasked with submitting its report in the Winter Session, but its tenure was extended until the end of the upcoming Budget Session, which begins on January 31.

Mirwaiz told reporters that he strongly opposed the Bill and favoured non-interference by the government in matters of religion.

“We hope our suggestions will be heard and acted upon, and no steps will be taken that make Muslims feel disempowered,” he said.

“The issue of Waqf is a very serious matter, especially for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as it is a Muslim-majority state. Many people have concerns regarding this, and we have prepared a detailed memorandum addressing these concerns point by point. We want the government to refrain from interfering in Waqf matters,” the Mirwaiz said.

“We believe no step should be taken that vitiates the atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

This marks the first time that the Mirwaiz, who also heads the virtually defunct separatist conglomerate Hurriyat Conference, has stepped out of the Kashmir Valley since the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.