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The suspension of several opposition members from the Waqf Bill joint parliamentary committee (JPC) on Friday led to a heated debate, with JPC chairman Jagdambika Pal accusing TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee of using unparliamentary language against him.
Speaking to ANI, Pal said, “The House had to be adjourned twice due to disruptions. Today, we allowed time for the Mirwaiz Umar Farooq delegation from Jammu and Kashmir, as requested by the opposition. However, Kalyan Banerjee used abusive language towards me, which seemed intentional. Despite my requests for calm, he created a commotion.”
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey reportedly proposed suspending Banerjee and other members. The suspended MPs include Kalyan Banerjee, Mohammad Jawed, A Raja, Asaduddin Owaisi, Naseer Hussain, Mohibullah, Mohamed Abdullah, Arvind Sawant, Nadeem-ul Haque, and Imran Masood.
The JPC meeting began contentiously, with opposition members claiming they had insufficient time to review the draft legislation. Congress MP Imran Masood, one of the suspended members, criticised the committee for allegedly rushing to take control of Waqf properties.
“They are acting arbitrarily and in haste. The meeting initially scheduled for January 25-26 was postponed to January 27, and now they refuse to accommodate requests for an extension. It seems like they aim to crush Waqf properties,” Masood said, calling for a postponement of the January 27 meeting to January 31.
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Meanwhile, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, head of Mutahida Majlis-E-Ulema, represented a delegation from Jammu and Kashmir, Leh, and Kargil during the JPC meeting. He voiced strong opposition to the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act, stating that they were detrimental to the Muslim community.
“The amendments are unacceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. They aim to disempower the Muslim community. We urged the delegation to visit Kashmir and understand the concerns of the people before proceeding with the bill,” said Mirwaiz. The situation remains tense, with both sides accusing each other of arbitrary actions and lack of seriousness over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
[With inputs from ANI]
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