New Delhi (India), February 14: Tensions rose in Parliament as opposition members raised concerns over the Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC) report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, alleging that their dissent notes were excluded from the report. Independent MP from Purnea, Pappu Yadav, voiced strong opposition to the omission, stating that if the issues raised by the opposition are ignored, the House will not function.
Pappu Yadav criticized the central government for trying to divert attention from critical issues such as the farmers’ protests and the Manipur crisis. He remarked, “The central government wants to divert the issues of farmers and Manipur. The amendments in the Waqf bill were brought separately, and now they say they will add the dissent notes. When the Centre ignores the issues brought up by the opposition, the House will not function. What is the value of the JPC if it is brought without consensus? This will not work; there will be opposition. All the dissent notes have been removed in the report.”
The controversy around the Waqf (Amendment) Bill deepened when BJP leader Mohsin Raza accused the opposition of evading discussions on the matter. Raza claimed that the opposition was reluctant to engage in dialogue because of their past involvement in creating flawed laws and land occupations. He said, “…They (opposition) are running away from discussion because they were the ones who made wrong laws and occupied the lands… Why are they running away from discussion? The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is in the best interest of the public, and the public also wants it… We welcome it…”
The JPC report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was tabled in Parliament amid significant opposition protests. BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who chaired the JPC, presented the report in the Lok Sabha, while Medha Vishram Kulkarni did the same in the Rajya Sabha. The opposition parties, however, staged protests and raised slogans, leading to the adjournment of both Houses of Parliament. The Rajya Sabha session was adjourned until 11:20 am, and both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned until March 10.
The ongoing debate over the Waqf Bill and the lack of consensus in Parliament continues to be a point of contention, with the opposition expressing concerns over the manner in which the Bill has been processed and the exclusion of dissenting views.