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The opposition MPs claimed that the panel Chairman was pushing the agenda under government pressure, with an eye on the Delhi assembly elections on February 5
Opposition MPs of Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf Amendment Bill. (PTI file photo)
The ten suspended members of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Amendment Bill on Friday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, calling for transparency and fair conduct of the proceedings.
In their letter, the members urged the Speaker to intervene and ask the committee chairman, BJP leader Jagdambika Pal, to consult with other members on setting a new date and agenda for the meeting.
The letter came after the ten opposition MPs were suspended during a meeting today, where they accused Pal of reducing the proceedings to a “farce” as the committee prepares to adopt its draft report next week.
Members of the JPC on Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, have written to the Hon’ble Speaker Shri Om Birla, requesting that the Chairman of the JPC be instructed to conduct proceedings in a transparent and fair manner.They also requested that the Chairman should postpone the 27th… pic.twitter.com/2VVAabi1ry
— Congress (@INCIndia) January 24, 2025
The suspended MPs also requested the postponement of the upcoming meeting on January 27 to give opposition members enough time to present their arguments in line with Parliament’s rules and procedures.
“The Chairman of the JPC may kindly be instructed to conduct the proceedings in a transparent and fair manner. The Chairman should postpone the 27th meeting so that the Opposition members can get the adequate time and opportunity to put forth our plea/claims without any departure from the rules and procedure to ensure the Parliament democracy on which the Nation still has faith,” the letter signed by the 10 MPs stated.
The January 27 meeting is set to consider the Bill clause by clause before finalising the report.
The opposition MPs claimed that Pal was pushing the agenda under government pressure, with an eye on the Delhi assembly elections on February 5.
In response, Pal accused opposition members, particularly Trinamool Congress’ Kalyan Banerjee, of insulting him in an attempt to derail the proceedings, stating they had crossed all limits.
The signatories of the letter are Kalyan Banerjee, Mohammad Jawed, A. Raja, Asaduddin Owaisi, Nasir Hussain, Mohibullah, M. Abdullah, Arvind Sawant, Nadimul Haque, and Imran Masood.
The suspension is limited to Friday, and opposition MPs will be allowed to attend the next meeting. They have requested more time to study the views of stakeholders and frame their arguments accordingly.
‘Entire Show Run By 2 People’
Speaking on the suspensions, DMK MP A Raja, who is also a member of the JPC, said, “We want to register everything on record and in the mind of the nation. People should know how the Parliamentary system is working in this country under PM Modi’s regime.”
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticised the JPC process, stating, “We haven’t seen such a JPC in which 10 MPs were suspended. We have seen in the Parliament when many MPs were suspended at once, and the same happened today in the JPC… This has not happened for the first time, and it looks they (government) are going on a predetermined way.”
VIDEO | Addressing a press conference on suspension of opposition MPs from parliamentary panel on Waqf Bill, including himself, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) says, “The (opposition) MPs have been a part of several JPCs in the past, and they know about the rules and… pic.twitter.com/SgFJOEIbmw— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 24, 2025
Meanwhile, another JPC member, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee, commented, “What will the Speaker do? The entire show is run by two persons. Those who are sitting everywhere have no power to do anything.”
(With inputs from agencies)