Waqf JPC member A Raja rues 655-page report: 'Meeting at 10 am, got it now'

The JPC headed by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, is set to meet on Wednesday to adopt its draft report, expected to be tabled in Parliament in the Budget Session

Updated on: Jan 28, 2025, 20:10:57 IST

By HT News Desk

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Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP A Raja, who is a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, hit out at the panel, calling it a “farce”.

“The Parliamentary Committee on Waqf Bill has been reduced to a farce. We were told that the Draft Report of the Committee & its Bill will be discussed tomorrow at 10 AM. It is 655 pages and has been sent to us just now. MPs are expected to go through it and provide comments and submit dissent notes. This is simply not possible,” Raja posted on X.

A Raja is a member of the JPC on Waqf (Amendment) Bill. (A Raja/X)

“What is the point of an independent parliamentary committee if the government does as it pleases anyway?” the DMK leader added.

The committee headed by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, is set to meet on Wednesday to adopt its draft report, which is expected to be tabled in Parliament in the Budget Session beginning Friday.

ALSO READ: Muslim Rashtriya Manch hails Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 clearance, calls it ‘new beginning’

JPC clears Waqf (Amendment) Bill

On Monday, the JPC cleared the Waqf bill with 25 amendments across 14 clauses/sections.

“Clause-by-clause meeting was held today. Opposition members had amendments over the 44 clauses. I asked members whether they are moving the amendments. They said they will be moving the amendments. There can't be anything more democratic than this. The kind of amendments passed today... I believe a better bill will be prepared,” Pal was quoted by PTI as saying.

The opposition members had slammed the meeting's proceedings, and accused Pal of "subverting" the democratic process.

ALSO READ: Waqf Board Explainer: How much land it owns, its powers, what the govt wants to change

“Everything was pre-decided. We were not allowed to say anything. No rules and procedures were followed. We wanted to discuss the amendments clause by clause but were not allowed,” TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said.

"The chairperson moved the amendments and then declared them without listening to our points. This is a bad day for democracy," he added.

(With PTI inputs)

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