Opposition MPs stage walkout of Waqf Bill panel meeting

The opposition MPs alleged that the commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Waqf board CEO, Ashwini Kumar, completely altered the initial report of the Waqf Board

Opposition MPs on Monday staged a walkout from the the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 meeting chaired by joint parliamentary committee (JPC) chairman BJP MP Jagdambika Pal at the Parliament Annexe alleging biased proceedings.

The opposition MPs alleged that the commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Waqf board CEO, Ashwini Kumar, completely altered the initial report of the Waqf Board and further alleged that the Chief Minister's approval in the matter was not sought.

Opposition MPs later returned and joined the meeting of the JPC.

In today's meeting, the committee had called representatives of the Delhi Waqf Board, Haryana Waqf Board, Punjab Waqf Board and Uttarakhand Waqf Board to record their oral evidence on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The committee has also called Call for Justice (Group led by Chander Wadhwa, Trustee), Waqf Tenant Welfare Association, Delhi and Harbans Dunkall, President, Residents Welfare Association (All Blocks), BK Dutt Colony, New Delhi to record their views and suggestions.

The committee will also meet on October 29. In this meeting, committee will record oral evidence of the representatives of the Ministry of Minority Affairs on the 'Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024'.

The previous meeting of the committee held on October 22, witnessed a heated argument between BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay and Triamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee.

During argument with Abhijit Gangopadhyay at the meeting, Banerjee allegedly broke a glass bottle and reportedly threw it at the panel chairman, Jagdambika Pal. These allegations were made by members present.

The joint parliamentary committee's efforts are part of a larger national initiative to reform the Waqf Act and ensure that Waqf properties are used for the greater good of the community.

The Waqf Act, 1995, which was created to regulate waqf properties, has long faced allegations of mismanagement, corruption and encroachments. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha this August, seeks to bring sweeping reforms, introducing digitisation, stricter audits, transparency and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.

The JPC is holding a series of meetings to gather input from government officials, legal experts, Waqf Board members and community representatives from different states and Union Territories, aiming for the most comprehensive reform possible.

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