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Opposition MPs on Tuesday created a ruckus at a meeting of the joint Parliamentary committee with the Delhi Waqf Board and representatives of the Minority Affairs conveneed to discuss the 'Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024' and record their oral evidence.
The MPs said that the permission to allow the Delhi Waqf Board to give presentations without any approval from the government of Delhi was illegal. The opposition MPs further alleged that the Waqf Board is under the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the ministry is working under an elected government. Therefore, any report submitted by the Waqf Board needs to get approval from the government, which the CEO of the Delhi Waqf Board ignored. It is pertinent to note that after consultation with the Secretary-General of Lok Sabha, the Joint Committee of Parliament has agreed to hear the views and suggestions of the Delhi Waqf Board without any approval from the Delhi Government. On Monday the opposition MPs alleging biased proceedings to stage a walkout from the meeting of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill chaired by Jagdambika Pal. They alleged that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner and Delhi Waqf Board CEO Ashwini Kumar had completely altered the initial report of the Waqf Board and claimed the Chief Minister's approval in the matter was not sought. Opposition MPs later rejoined the JPC meeting. In the meeting, the committee summoned representatives from the Haryana, Punjab, and Uttarakhand Waqf Boards to record their views on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The committee also invited Call for Justice (led by Trustee Chander Wadhwa), the Waqf Tenant Welfare Association, and Harbans Dunkall, President of the Residents Welfare Association (All Blocks) in BK Dutt Colony, New Delhi, to share their views and suggestions. The committee will also convene on October 29 to record oral evidence from representatives of the Ministry of Minority Affairs on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The previous meeting on October 22 saw a heated argument between BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay and Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee. During the argument, Banerjee allegedly broke a glass bottle and reportedly threw it at committee chairman Jagdambika Pal, as reported by members present. The JPC's efforts are part of a broader national initiative to reform the Waqf Act and ensure that Waqf properties serve the community's best interests. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, introduced in the Lok Sabha in August, aims to bring major reforms by introducing digitization, stricter audits, transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. The JPC is conducting a series of meetings to gather input from government officials, legal experts, Waqf Board members, and community representatives across different states and Union Territories, aiming to create the most comprehensive reform possible. (ANI)
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