JPC clears Waqf Amendment Bill, approves BJP-led NDA proposals

Opposition MPs decried the meeting's proceedings and accused them of "subverting" the democratic process.

New Delhi: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Monday, January 27, adopted all amendments proposed by the ruling BJP-led NDA members and negated every change moved by opposition members.

The JPC chairman Jagdambika Pal told reporters after the meeting that amendments adopted by the committee will make the law better and more effective.

However, opposition MPs decried the meeting’s proceedings and accused Pal of “subverting” the democratic process while approving the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

Hyderabad Institute of Excellence

“It was a farcical exercise. We were not heard. Pal has acted in a dictatorial manner,” TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee told reporters.

Pal rejected the charge, and said the entire exercise was democratic, and the majority view prevailed.

One of the more significant amendments proposed by the committee is that the existing Waqf properties cannot be questioned on the grounds of ‘Waqf by user’, which existed in the current law but will be omitted in the new version if the properties are being used for religious purposes.

MS Creative School

Pal said the amendments moved by the NDA members in 14 of the Bill’s clauses have been accepted.

Opposition members moved hundreds of amendments in all 44 clauses and all of them were defeated by vote, he added.

‘Opposition JPC members not heard’

Reacting strongly to the approval of the Waqf Amendment Bill, Trinamool Congress MP and JPC member said that the opposition voices in the JPC were shunned by its Chairman and BJP leader Jagadambika Pal.

“Today, they did everything that they had pre-decided. They did not allow us to speak anything. No rules and procedures have been followed…,” Kalyan Banerjee said

“We wanted to discuss the amendments clause-by-clause but did not let us speak at all. The JPC chairperson Jagdambika Pal moved the amendments and then declared them without listening to our points… This is a bad day for democracy,” he added.

Another opposition member of the JPC, DMK’s A Raja said “When JPC was resumed today for clause by clause consideration, we raised the issue, how it can be done, in the absence of the documents which were promised, it was not supplied to us.”

“On 19th, 20th, 21st, Lucknow, Patna, Kolkata committee made a tour, in the tour, what all the stakeholders deposed before the JPC, the chairman directed all the documents should be supplied to the members within seven days,” he revealed.

“Seven days have passed, and the documents have still not been submitted to us. Without these documents, we are unable to review or verify the evidence. Without verifying the veracity of the evidence, how can clause-by-clause consideration proceed?” DMK MP lamented.

“We objected, but despite our resistance, he acted on our behalf. Our amendments were presented by the chairman, the headcounts were conducted by him, and he himself announced the negative outcome. Essentially, he served as the mover, counter, and announcer. What unfolded today was nothing short of a mockery,” A Raja added.

Back to top button