10 opposition MPs suspended following ruckus in Waqf board JPC meet

NEW DELHI: 10 opposition MPs were suspended for a day on Friday following a ruckus during the Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024.

The suspended MPs include Kalyan Banerjee, Md. Jawaid, A Raja, Asaduddin Owaisi, Nasir Hussain, Mohibullah, M. Abdullah, Arvind Sawant, Nadimul Haq, and Imran Masood.


Following the meeting, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee, accused the JPC chairman Jagdambika Pal of not listening to the opposition and conducting the proceeding like a "jamindari."Also read: JPC plans Waqf bill meetings, opposition seeks more time
"After 21st January late session, chairman informed the members that meeting will be held on 24th and 25th January. Other members protested and wrote a letter. We request to schedule the meeting after 30th or 31st but the chairman did not listen to us. So we came by postponing all our programmes. Yesterday midnight we got the message that there is a change of agenda, there won't be a clockwise discussion but meeting will be held on 24th and 27th but not on 25th (January). What is happening inside is like undeclared Emergency proceedings," Banerjee said.

"They are trying to hurry up things because of Delhi elections... It is politically motivated. The chairman doesn't listen to anyone... it is like 'jamindari'. They don't give any respect to the opposition members. This JPC has become a farce," he added.

"The chairman should also understand how many days the earlier JPCs on Waqf and other issues have functioned. There were a larger number of sittings. So, I don't think we should hurry. We should discuss in detail and present a comprehensive report. Instead, what BJP and the government are trying to do is push the JPC to submit the report only to gain an advantage in the Delhi elections," Congress MP Nasir Hussain said.

Also Read: Enact one law for all religious endowments: VHP to JPC on waqf bill
Meanwhile, BJP MP and JPC member Nishikant Dubey accused the opposition of creating a ruckus and acting against parliamentary democracy.

"The opposition, especially Owaisi ji, believed that Jammu and Kashmir's full representation was not heard, and elected representatives should have been called. Today's meeting, which was scheduled to discuss... was postponed by the chairman based on the opposition's suggestion," Dubey said.