‘JPC not functioning ethically, biased’: Opposition MPs boycott Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on Waqf Bill

Opposition MPs on Monday boycotted the meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Amendment Bill, calming that the committee is not functioning according to the principles and norms of a JPC. They alleged that the committee is ethically and principally wrong.

"We are boycotting the meeting because they are not functioning ethically. Principally, they are wrong," Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant said.

The Opposition members alleged that Anwar Manippadi, former Chairman, Karnataka State Minorities Commission and Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation, whose presentation is still going on, is not about Waqf Bill. 

They alleged that Anwar is making unnecessary allegations against Karnataka Government and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, which is not in accordance with the committee and not acceptable.

Expressing strong sentiments against the proceeding, opposition MPs including Gaurav Gogoi and Imran Masood of the Congress, A Raja of the DMK, Arvind Sawant of the Shiv Sena (UBT), AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi, Samjwadi Party's Mohibbullah and Sanjay Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party stormed out of the meeting. 

Later, the Opposition MPs said they have decided to approach the Lok Sabha Speaker to discuss all their concern about the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill.

It is important to note that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill,  introduced by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in the Lok Sabha on August 8 was referred to a JPC for wider scrutiny after a heated debate. Terming the bill as “unconstitutional,” Many opposition MPs, had given notices to oppose the bill, alleged that the proposed legislation was an "attack on the Constitution and federalism". 

The JPC on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 is holding a series of informal discussions with various stakeholders till October 1. 

These consultations aim to refine the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act, which governs the management of over 600,000 registered Waqf properties across the country. 

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeks to bring sweeping reforms, introducing digitisation, stricter audits, transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. The bill also gives women positions as members but adds that "the creation of waqf-alal-aulad does not lead to the denial of inheritance rights to women".