New Delhi [India], January 31 (ANI): Congress MP and Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) member Dr Syed Naseer Hussain on Thursday raised concerns over the JPC’s handling of the Waqf Bill and accused it of being ‘biased’ and not adhering to procedural norms.
Hussain criticised the lack of a clause-by-clause discussion among JPC members before amendments were proposed, which he argued would have ensured a more comprehensive review.
He also pointed out that the final report was sent just one day before its adoption, leaving insufficient time to properly analyse the over 600-page document.
Speaking to ANI, Dr Syed Naseer Hussain said, “The real issues related to Waqf were not discussed in the way the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was working. The procedures were not followed before submitting the report. We wanted clause-by-clause discussion between JPC members and then amendments should have been introduced after consensus was reached. However, the clause-by-clause discussion did not take place.”
“The report was also sent to just a day before its adoption. How can we read an over 600-page report overnight and make an analysis out of it? So the JPC was working in a very ‘biased’ manner,” he stated.
Several Opposition members of the panel submitted dissent notes to be incorporated in the report, which will be tabled in Parliament during the upcoming Budget session.
These Opposition MPs included the Congress party’s Gaurav Gogoi, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi besides the members who submitted joint dissent notes such as Kalyan Banerjee and Nadimul Haque of the TMC, A Raja and M M Abdulla of the DMK, and Syed Naseer Hussain, Dr Mohammad Jawed and Imran Masood of the Congress.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill on Wednesday adopted the draft report and the amended revised bill.
The meeting between members of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla concluded and the final report on the bill was submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker on January 30.
After submitting the report, JPC chairman Jagdambika Pal lauded the members of the committee for their “significant contribution” to the constitution of the bill.
Pal stated that over the last 5 months, the committee conducted several meetings and met hundreds of delegations across the nation, adding that a report has been made after detailed deliberation and several cross-examinations.
BJP MP Dr Radha Mohan Das Agrawal slammed the opposition and said that it is in their DNA to oppose the government.
Earlier on Monday, speaking about the JPC meeting on the Waqf Bill, Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske said, “There were 44 resolutions and discussion and voting was held on each one of them along with amendments. The opposition was against each resolution but their objection did not get the majority of the votes.”This was a bill for the profit of the nation and the betterment of poor Muslims, to give them stature. The opposition spread false claims that this is anti-Muslim and did politics. Bala Saheb Thackeray used to say the Waqf board should be cancelled, and his so-called successor, Uddhav Thackeray’s right-hand Arvind Sawant objected to all 44 resolutions of the bill. We condemn Uddhav Thackeray for not supporting this bill and I am grateful to Sharad Pawar for supporting it. Many of the governmental projects are halted due to the Waqf Board claiming it as theirs,” he said.
Meanwhile, the budget session of Parliament will commence on (February 1) Friday with the government outlining its legislative agenda including the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the opposition parties pressing on issues of their concern including price rise and unemployment.
The budget session will commence with President Droupadi Murmu addressing a joint sitting of the two Houses. The Economic Survey will also be tabled on Friday ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget on Saturday.
After the all-party meeting convened by the government, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari accused the government of failing on the economic front.
Earlier on January, 10 opposition party MPs were suspended for a day on Friday following a ruckus during the meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment Bill) 2024.
The suspended Opposition MPs were: Kalyan Banerjee, Md. Jawaid, A Raja, Asaduddin Owaisi, Nasir Hussain, Mohibullah, M Abdullah, Arvind Sawant, Nadimul Haq, Imran Masood.The JPC on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is expected to submit its report during the Budget session, with the committee’s term extended during the winter session of Parliament.
The Budget session of Parliament will commence on January 31 and continue till April 4, with the Union Budget to be presented on February 1.
The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to address these challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. (ANI)
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