Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 27: The Waqf Amendment Bill is unlikely to be brought back on the table of Parliament during the current winter session as after the opposition, the ruling BJP members of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) are also learnt to have sought extension of time limit for submitting its report.
The JPC studying proposed changes to the Waqf Bill has asked Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for time till the last day of next year’s Budget Session to submit its report, BJP MP and committee member Aparajita Sarangi said on Wednesday.
It was later confirmed by other sources in the committee who said the BJP member Nishikant Dubey had joined opposition MPs in seeking just such an extension. On Tuesday opposition MPs had met Mr Birla and requested a “reasonable” extension of the panel’s tenure.
He BJP sought the extension after the opposition leaders, including Gaurav Gogoi of the Congress and Kalyan Banerjee of Trinamool Congress, once again protested against committee chair Jagadambika Pal of the BJP, alleging he was forcing proceedings to meet the original November 29 deadline.
The JPC on the amendments to the Waqf Bill has seen mud-flinging, stormy meetings, and high drama, including Mr Banerjee smashing a glass bottle and flinging it at Mr Pal, since it began functioning. All through, the opposition MPs on the panel have repeatedly accused Mr Pal of impropriety.
They have also questioned the committee hearing from groups such as Odisha-based Panchasakha Bani Prachar, arguing that these have no stake in discussions on the Waqf law. Earlier this month they wrote to Mr Birla warning they would ‘dissociate’ themselves from the committee. They claimed Mr Pal was taking unilateral decisions regarding the panel’s functioning and called his actions a “forceful way to mitigate (protests) and pass the Bill.”
The proposed changes to the Waqf Bill were first tabled in Parliament in August and then, amid protests from opposition MPs (and questions from some key BJP allies) sent to the JPC. Among the proposed changes to the Waqf laws (apart from having non-Muslim members on the board) is a provision to include at least two women in the Central Council.
At least three BJP allies – including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JDU and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP, both of whom are critical in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party maintaining its government – have also spoken out against the Waqf Amendment Bill.
The extension of time was sought after the opposition members stormed out of the meeting of the joint parliamentary committee examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill even on Wednesday alleging that its proceedings had become a mockery.
They, however, returned to attend the meeting after an hour amid indications that the committee chairperson would seek an extension in its term. Sources said the panel’s tenure might be extended till the first week of the Budget Session, adding that a final decision would have to be taken by the Lok Sabha.
Earlier in the day, Gaurav Gogoi of the Congress, A. Raja of the DMK, Sanjay Singh of AAP, and Kalyan Banerjee of the TMC protested the conduct of committee chairperson alleging that he was keen to wrap up its proceedings by the November 29 deadline without completing due process.
Mr Gogoi said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had indicated the committee might be given an extension, but it appeared that some “big minister” was directing the action of Pal. TMC MP Banerjee said, “It is a mockery”. YSR Congress MP V. Vijaysai Reddy said all parties not allied with the BJP wanted an extension but Pal called for finishing its work so that the report could be tabled in the Lok Sabha on November 29.
The JPC’s proposals were expected to be tabled in this session of Parliament.