"16 delegations have expressed their desire to appear today" Waqf JPC chair in Bhubaneswar

Pal said, "Today also JPC will meet in Bhubaneswar, in which 16 delegations have expressed their desire to appear before the JPC, which includes High Court lawyers, Islamic scholars, Odisha government officials, various social and minority organizations. I hope good suggestions will come and the entire JPC will consider them. We have covered Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, now we have to cover Lucknow, Patna, Kolkata."

Reacting to the opposition boycotting the JPC panel's study tour he said that the purpose of JPC meetings in the states is to give suggestions on Amendment and to listen to them.

"They are coming in large numbers. This is not a matter of politics. If the JPC is meeting all stakeholders and has done 25 meetings in Delhi and travelling to states ot is to have more participants who can give suggestions. The opposition is making it an issue. We are listening to people who could not travel to Delhi," he added.

BJP MP and member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, Aparajita Sarangi said that they will listen to the key stakeholders from all across Odisha.

Sarangi said, "We are going to listen to the key stakeholders from all across Odisha and more than 16 organisations have come forward and they'll be placing their views before the Joint Parliamentary Committee. Five members would remain present, including the chairperson and we will have an extensive hearing."

Earlier on Sunday, Pal dismissed allegations of impropriety and defended the study tours by him and other committee members.

Stating that not every committee member needs to be present during the meetings and study tours as they might have other commitments, he told ANI, "Even during Parliament sessions, it never happens that all MPs are present during every debate of every session... The purpose of the study tour of the JPC is not if all members are present or not. The purpose is to give the administration, waqf board, minority commissions and all stakeholders of the state it visits, a chance to be heard."

JPC member and Congress MP Jaiwaid criticised the study tours on Sunday.

When we saw that our opinions were not being considered, we were left with no other option but to boycott it, so we are not participating in any tour. I think out of 31 members, 12-14 (are not participating). So, when 1/3rd of the members are not there, what is the use of it? You have to hear both types of opinions," he told ANI. (ANI)