Opposition MPs in the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 have voiced serious concerns about the committee’s functioning, accusing its chairman, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, of preventing thorough discussions. The MPs are expected to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on November 5 to present their grievances, reports The Hindu.
The protest letter has reportedly been signed by prominent Opposition members, including AAP’s Sanjay Singh, DMK’s M.M. Abdullah and A. Raja, AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee and Nadimul Haque, and Congress MP Mohammad Jawed, with additional Opposition members likely to join. They argue that the chairman’s actions – such as scheduling multiple back-to-back sessions without sufficient time for legal analysis – are hindering a proper evaluation of the bill.
“We see this Bill as a covert effort to weaken previous legislation that upholds secular values in our Constitution,” the MPs stated in their petition. They have requested that Speaker Om Birla intervene to ensure that decisions in the committee reflect a consultative process.
Opposition members also raised concerns over the bill’s extensive amendments, which they argue go far beyond the government’s claim of 44 changes, estimating the number to be over 100. They insist that the JPC, as a “mini-Parliament,” should conduct a genuine debate rather than serving as a “ventilating chamber” to facilitate the bill’s swift passage under government influence.
If no action is taken, Opposition MPs warned they may be compelled to withdraw from the committee, citing frustration over what they perceive as the exclusionary conduct by the committee chair.
