Opposition MPs to boycott Waqf Bill parliamentary committee meetings, allege brazen violation of ethics by JPC chaimran

Members of Parliament of Opposition parties who are on the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill have decided to boycott its upcoming meetings across five cities alleging a brazen violation of ethics by the chairman of the committee.

First such meeting is reportedly scheduled on Nov 9.

The Opposition MPs — including from the Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and the Samajwadi Party — accuse the JPC’s chairman, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Jagdambika Pal, of “violating all ethics, acting with a specific agenda and turning the JPC proceedings into a mockery”.

Adressing a press conference on Nov 7 TMC MP Kalyan Bandopadhyay said that the boycott was decided after the Opposition members recently met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, alleging that Pal was “arbitrarily fixing meetings from morning to night” and being “high-handed”.

According to Opposition MPs, Birla had “agreed that the meetings were hectic and said he would consider deferring them but “nothing has been done”.

“Pal is calling people from organizations to the meeting per his own choice… people who are very close to the BJP and have no stakes in the functioning of the Waqf bill. Ironically number of such people called is more than those who have stakes,” said Bandopadhyay.

Bandopadhyay alleged the chairman is working with an agenda and not for the national interest.

“We have decided to boycott the upcoming tour of the JPC… The upcoming meeting was scheduled from Nov 9 onwards. Members were scheduled to attend meetings in 5 cities in six days.” he said.

“We have pointed out earlier that the chairman never held meetings in consultation with us… I have Jagadhatri puja in my constituency. We have by-polls here. In Jharkhand, there are elections; naturally, many of us have to move around the country,” he added.

Pertinently, the JPC was formed to bring reforms in the Waqf Act 1995, and ensure that waqf properties are used for the “greater good of the community”.

The Act, which was created to regulate waqf properties, has faced rampant allegations of mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments.