Congress National President and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Thursday strongly opposed the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, accusing the government of removing dissent notes from Opposition members.
The controversy sparked a major uproar in both houses of Parliament ahead of the tabling of the JPC report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The Lok Sabha was adjourned until 2 p.m. due to loud protests and slogans from the Opposition, while the Rajya Sabha witnessed intense debates.
Kharge expressed his concerns, stating that it was wrong to omit the dissenting opinions and views from Opposition members in the report. “In the JPC report on the Waqf Board, many members submitted their dissent notes. It is not right to remove those notes and bulldoze our views. This is anti-democratic and condemnable. Outside stakeholders were called to give their statements, and I condemn any report presented after removing dissenting views. If the report does not include these perspectives, it should be sent back and presented again,” Kharge said.
In response, Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, JP Nadda, criticized the Opposition’s protest, calling it “irresponsible.” He emphasized that while disagreements are part of democracy, Parliament’s proceedings must respect constitutional norms. “I regret that despite repeated requests from the Chairman, the Opposition’s behavior has been extremely irresponsible and deserves all the condemnation it receives,” Nadda stated.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar also took action, warning TMC MPs Samirul Islam, Nadimul Haque, and DMK MP Mohammed Abdullah for disrupting the session. “These three gentlemen have caused chaos and disrupted the house. If this continues, I will be compelled to take severe steps,” Dhankhar warned.
Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav defended the JPC, asserting that the Chairman had the right to remove irrelevant or unparliamentary portions from the report. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju dismissed the Opposition’s accusations, clarifying that no part of the report had been deleted. “There has been no deletion or removal from the report. Everything has been tabled in the House. The Opposition’s allegations are false and misleading,” Rijiju stated, expressing disappointment at the Opposition’s unfounded claims.
TMC MP Saket Gokhale also weighed in, stating, “This is not a religious issue but a constitutional one.”
The Waqf Act of 1995, which regulates Waqf properties, has faced criticism for issues like mismanagement and corruption. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeks to address these challenges through reforms, including digitization, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.
