Parliament building made on Waqf land: AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal

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All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) Chief Badruddin Ajmal on Wednesday sparked a controversy claiming that the Parliament building and the areas surrounding it in the national capital have been built on the Waqf property, news agency ANI reported.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, October 16, Ajmal claimed that the area around Vasant Vihar up to the airport has been built on Waqf property.

"There are voices and a list of Waqf properties across the world is out: the Parliament building, surrounding areas, and periphery around Vasant Vihar up to the airport have been built on Waqf property. People also say that the airport has been built on Waqf property," the AIUDF chief said.

"It is bad to use the Waqf land without permission. They will lose their ministry very soon over this Waqf Board issue," he added.

Meanwhile, Members of Parliament (MP) from the Opposition have written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, alleging "gross violation" of the parliamentary code of conduct during the meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, ANI stated.

The MPs alleged numerous violations of the parliamentary code of conduct and rules of procedure by Committee Chairperson Jagdambika Pal during the panel meeting held on Monday, October 14, in New Delhi.

Opposition MPs write to Lok Sabha Speaker over Waqf Bill

"The proceedings of the committee were conducted in a biased and partisan manner by Chairperson Jagdambika Pal. The invitation extended to (former chairman of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission) Anwar Manippady to depose evidence before the committee by the chairperson is not within the scope and ambit of the Committee," the letter stated.

The opposition MPs also claimed that a note titled 'Presentation on the Waqf Bill 2012 based on Karnataka Waqf Scam Report 2012' contained no observations on the Waqf Bill but only "politically motivated allegations" against leaders of the Karnataka Congress, including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, reported ANI.

"At the beginning of his remarks, Manippady circulated a note titled 'Presentation on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2012 based on Karnataka Waqf Scam Report 2012' to the committee members. The note contained no observations on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Instead, it was full of politically motivated allegations against leaders of the Karnataka Congress, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition (Rajya Sabha). Despite vehement protests by several committee members that Kharge occupies a constitutional position of high dignity and is not present in the meeting, the witness was allowed to speak by the Chairperson. Further, he refused to provide adequate time to committee members to lodge their protests," read the letter.

"The Chairperson's decision to allow the witness to continue speaking goes against basic rules of procedure as outlined in 'Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha' (MN Kaul and SL Shakdher). The rules clearly state that matters which are sub judice, cannot be discussed incidentally. Further, the position of Leader of Opposition is a position of high dignity as defined by Kaul and Shakdher. Subsequently under Rule 353 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, defamatory or incriminatory allegations cannot be made against any person unless the member is given adequate advance notice," the letter read.

The opposition MPs in the letter also stated that the Members of the Committee were deprived of their fundamental right to voice their concerns and thoughts in a space which is expected to operate with the highest alignment to democratic values.

"We believe that it is imperative to infom you of the situation, as it not only involves an insult to the Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha, but paves a way for a marked departure from the spirit of bipartisanship and dignity expected from a parliamentary committee," read the letter.

Heated debate over Waqf Bill, 2024

The letter further stated, "We request your immediate intervention in the matter, and expect you to remind the Chairperson of the Committee of his duty to be bipartisan and uphold parliamentary norms. It will be very difficult for Members of Parliament across party lines to continue working on the Joint Parliamentary Committee in the current partisan and politically motivated environment."

The Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on the Waqf Bill at Parliament Annexe, witnessed a heated exchange between ruling party MPs and opposition MPs, leading to an intense debate and the opposition MPs staging a walkout of the meeting.

However, opposition MPs, who previously walked out on Tuesday alleging the use of abusive language from a BJP MP and biased behaviour returned to participate in the meeting again. The opposition MPs who had walked out of the meeting earlier in the day also alleged that the Chairman of the committee Jagdambika Pal was being biased on many issues and not giving instructions to BJP/NDA MPs.

The opposition MPs had earlier on Monday also walked out of the JPC meeting on Waqf Bill over allegations made by Anwar Manippady, former Chairman of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission and the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation.

According to the MPs, Manippady deviated from the agenda of the meeting and made a series of allegations against the Karnataka Government and levelled allegations against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. The opposition MPs said that the allegations were irrelevant and unacceptable.

(With ANI inputs)