Opposition MPs say they may disassociate with Waqf committee, protest Chair's 'unilateral' decisions

New Delhi: Several Opposition leaders part of the Waqf Board JPC on Monday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla complaining against the “unilateral” approach of JPC chairperson Jagdambika Pal.

The members said that the JPC should not be used as a “venting chamber” to get the Bill passed. They urged the Speaker to direct Pal to have a “formal consultation” with members of the Committee before taking decisions, failing which the members said that they will be “forced to disassociate” with the JPC as they said they have been "stonewalled".

The trigger for the letter was a series of meetings that Pal had announced will take place on November 4 and 5. On Monday, the Committee recorded the oral representations of the Delhi-based Jamaat-e-Islam-e-Hind and a group of Muslim women intellectuals led by Dr Shalini Ali, which was to be the first time women were deposing before the committee.

Apart from that, Jamiyat Himayatul Islam led by president Qari Abrar Jamal, Shia Muslim group led by Maulana Kokab Mujtaba and Vishwa Shanti Parishad led by its president Faiz Ahmad Raiz also made their representations.

At Monday's meeting, the women intellectuals sought to question the Waqf Board for the allegations of land grab claims, and inquired what the Board has done for the welfare of the needy among the Muslim community.

Additionally, the MPs, in their letter to the Speaker, accused the Chairman of the Committee of taking “unilateral decisions on fixing the dates of sittings”. The MPs contended that some of these meetings are being held for consecutive three days, which they said, is not practically possible for MPs to prepare for.

“We, the Members of the JPC from Opposition, feel that the constitution of the JPC, i.e. a mini Parliament, should not be treated as a mere ventilating chamber to get the Bill passed as desired by the government ignoring the Parliamentary process by using the so-called ‘majority’ undemocratically. Hence, it is our duty to bring to your notice with pain that bulldozing the proceedings of the JPC without assigning reasonable and plausible time pause is nothing but an act of atrocious onslaught on the Constitutional religion and the Parliament,” the letter states.

The MPs also pointed out that contrary to the government’s claims, there were more than 100 amendments made in the newly drafted Bill 2024, and not just 44 amendments, as stated by the government. “Out of these amendments, we are reasonably confined to express our fear that the religious, spiritual and moral fabrics of a legal Institution i.e. Waqf Board is going to be erased which will tarnish our country’s image in the eyes of the world community on minority rights guaranteed in our Constitution,” the letter stated.

The JPC’s meetings have seen several fights erupt between MPs of the Opposition and the treasury benches, with Opposition MPs walking out several times. Among those who signed the letter include AAP’s Sanjay Singh, DMK MPs MM Abdullah and A Raja, AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee and MN Haque, and Congress MP Mohammed Jawed.

On Tuesday, the Committee is set to take representations from the Dawoodi Bohra community. The community will be represented by the Anjuman e Shiateali. Apart from that, Associate Professor of Aligarh Muslim University Dr Mohammad Hamir Ahmad, Dr Imran Chudhary of the Student and Madarsa Cell will make representations, in addition to representations by Akhil Bhartiya Adhivakta Parishad led by Shreehari Borikar and Anveshak by Gaurav Agarwal.