By Dr. Gyan Pathak
The purpose of sending the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 to the Joint Parliamentary Committee was to get an appropriated recommendations from the JPC after meaningful discussions on the contentious issue, but suspension of 10 opposition Members of Parliament during meeting on January 24, 2025, following accusation on the chair of autocratic and feudal behaviour and ruckus thereafter, shows that the purpose is going to be defeated.
What happened during the meet also shows that there is no room left for meaningful discussions in the JPC, in which 10 out of 31 MPs are suspended. It is sure to have an adverse impact on the quality of recommendations. It is ominous for parliamentary democracy.
Earlier also in October, the meeting of the JPC on Waqf Bill was disrupted by scuffle followed after accusation on chair of undemocratic conduct. A scuffle had broken out between TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee and BJP’s Abhijit Gangopadhyay during a meeting of JPC on the Waqf Bill. Banerjee had allegedly smashed a glass bottle and hurled it towards the committee’s chairperson, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, injuring himself in the process.
BJP MP Jagadambika Pal is the Chairman of the JPC on Waqf Bill. The suspended MPs are Kalyan Banerjee, Md. Jawaid, A Raja, Asaduddin Owaisi, Nasir Hussain, Mohibullah, M Abdullah, Arvind Sawant, NadimulHaq, and Imran Masood.
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee has said, “After 21st January late session, chairman informed the members that meeting will be held on 24th and 25th January. Other members protested and wrote a letter. We request to schedule the meeting after 30th or 31st but the chairman did not listen to us. So, we came by postponing all our programmes. Yesterday midnight we got the message that there is a change of agenda, there won’t be a clockwise discussion but meeting will be held on 24th and 27th but not on 25th (January). What is happening inside is like undeclared Emergency proceedings.”
Banerjee even accused the Chairman of ignoring or even of not listening to the opposition requests and behaving autocratically like a “jamindari” (feudal rule), adding, “They are trying to hurry up things because of Delhi elections … . It is politically motivated. The chairman doesn’t listen to anyone… it is like ‘jamindari’. They don’t give any respect to the opposition members. This JPC has become a farce.”
Another suspended Congress MP Nasir Hussain said, “The chairman should also understand how many days the earlier JPCs on Waqf and other issues have functioned. There were a larger number of sittings. So, I don’t think we should hurry. We should discuss in detail and present a comprehensive report. Instead, what BJP and the government are trying to do is push the JPC to submit the report only to gain an advantage in the Delhi elections.”
Opposition members in the JPC has a general grievance that they were not being given adequate time to even study the proposed changes to the draft legislation.
The JPC was also scheduled to hear the views of a delegation led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the religious head of Muslims of Kashmir. Before hearing the delegation, the JPC members also held an internal discussion which turned acrimonious. BJP members were trying to impress upon the opposition for speedy acceptance of the report of the JPC on Waqf Bill. Then heated arguments ensued leading to ruckus. After a brief disruption, the meeting was reconvened and the Mirwaiz-led delegation appeared before the JPC. Mirwaiz has reportedly strongly opposed to the Waqf Bill, and favoured non-interference by the government in religious matters.
“We hope our suggestions would be heard and acted upon and no such step would be taken that would make Muslims feel that they are being disempowered,” Mirwaiz said.
BJP MP and JPC member Nishikant Dubey, on the other hand accused the opposition of creating a ruckus and acting against parliamentary democracy. He said, “The opposition, especially Owaisiji, believed that Jammu and Kashmir’s full representation was not heard, and elected representatives should have been called. Today’s meeting, which was scheduled to discuss… was postponed by the chairman based on the opposition’s suggestion.”
“However, in front of Mirwaiz, these people created a ruckus, misbehaved, and acted against parliamentary democracy,” Nishikant Dubey added.
The 31-member (JPC) was constituted in August 2024 to review the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. It is comprised of 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. The Bill was referred to the JPC after strong objections from opposition parties. The Congress, DMK, NCP, Trinamool Congress, and AIMIM had strongly criticized the bill, arguing that it undermines federalism and constitutional principles, and is a direct interference in Muslim’s religious affair. (IPA Service)