Wakf Amendment Bill: BJP and opposition MPs clashed badly in JPC meeting, chairman had to intervene

New Delhi : There was a heated debate between the ruling and opposition MPs in the meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Thursday on the Wakf Amendment Bill. MPs from BJP and opposition parties came face to face. The heat increased so much that JPC Chairman and BJP MP Jagdambika Pal had to intervene, only then the members calmed down. Opposition MPs questioned the justification of bringing the bill and asked what was the need for it.Officers gave presentation on Wakf Bill
In the meeting, all the top officials of the government including the Secretary of Urban Development, Road Transport and Chairman of Railway Board gave a presentation on the Waqf Amendment Bill in front of the Joint Parliamentary Committee. The opposition also advised the officials to speak only the language of the government and to remain neutral. Our associate Economic Times has reported quoting sources that in the meeting, the ruling party made it clear that they want to ensure that the Waqf property is used only for religious and public welfare purposes and not for personal interests. During this, the officials also told that the Waqf has staked a claim on 200 government properties in Delhi.

Opposition members gave advice to the officers
In the meeting, opposition MPs surrounded the government on the Waqf Amendment Bill. The opposition alleges that instead of giving their opinion on the bill, the officers are repeating the government’s words. In the meeting of the joint committee chaired by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, information was given about Waqf properties in the National Capital Region and land related to the Road Transport and Railway Ministries. Urban Development and Road Transport Secretary Anurag Jain, Railway Board Chairman Satish Gautam, Railway Board Member (Infrastructure) Anil Kumar Khandelwal and officials of the concerned ministries gave information about the bill to the JPC.

Heated exchange between BJP and opposition MPs
The meeting witnessed a heated exchange between BJP and opposition MPs, including Kalyan Banerjee (TMC) and Sanjay Singh (AAP). The heat escalated so much that the committee chairman Jagdambika Pal had to intervene to calm the situation. The ministries argued that the Waqf Amendment Bill would help them remove encroachments on government lands and complete development projects faster. To this, opposition members said that if any property has been wrongly notified as Waqf, there is a provision to challenge it in the existing laws. The government is trying to say that if it claims any such property, no questions should be raised.

News agency PTI quoted sources as saying that chaos broke out during the meeting when officials of the Urban Development Ministry could not answer the members’ questions on the land acquisition process carried out by the British rule. An opposition member of the committee claimed, “There has been an attempt to suppress some information.”

There was also discussion on land acquisition during the British Raj
Opposition MPs alleged that the ministries were not taking an independent view on the bill and were only accepting the government’s point of view. Opposition MPs said, “It seems that the ministries have been asked to reiterate the government’s stand on the bill.” Some people in the meeting also raised questions about the land acquisition process that took place during the British rule. An opposition MP said, “There were many flaws in the land acquisition process that took place during the British Raj. There are many properties that were wrongly declared as government properties.”

‘The Waqf Board has staked claim on enemy properties too’
According to the Economic Times report, opposition members asked the officials of the ministries what is the need for this bill. If the Waqf has made any wrong claim, then even today the courts give decisions in favor of the real owner, so what is the need for this bill. According to the ET report, BJP’s Nishikant Dubey said that the government wants to ensure that the Waqf properties are used only for religious and welfare purposes and not for personal benefit. he/she also said that the Waqf has also claimed many properties which are actually enemy properties.