New Delhi. There was a huge uproar on Monday in the meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) formed to consider the bill brought to change the rules of the Waqf Board. MPs from opposition parties boycotted the JPC meeting and demanded the replacement of its chairperson Jagdambika Pal. In fact, a presentation was given in Monday’s meeting, in which Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was accused of grabbing Waqf property. Angered by this, MPs from opposition parties boycotted the meeting.
After leaving the meeting, opposition MPs wrote a letter to the Speaker demanding the removal of committee chairperson Jagdambika Pal. Opposition MPs also sought time to meet the Speaker. The opposition alleges that the proceedings of the committee are not being conducted as per the prescribed rules. In fact, former Karnataka Minority Commission Chairman Anwar Maniappadi gave a presentation, but it was not related to the bill but to defame the Karnataka government and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. In his presentation, Anwar accused Kharge of usurping Waqf property, which was opposed by opposition MPs.
It is noteworthy that in March 2012, the Maniappadi Committee, which had alleged a scam of Rs 2.3 lakh crore of Waqf, had given its report to the then Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda. He himself accused the Karnataka government and Kharge through a presentation on Monday. It is noteworthy that the Waqf Amendment Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 8 and it was submitted to the JPC amid objections from the opposition. The committee has to submit its report to the Lok Sabha by the end of the first week of the next Parliament session.