Waqf committee unanimously decides to seek extension of tenure

     New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI) The parliamentary committee scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday unanimously decided to seek an extension in its tenure till the last day of the next Budget Session after its meeting was marked by angry protests by the opposition members over Chairperson Jagdambika Pal's stand that its draft report was ready to be adopted.
     The meeting began on a stormy note as the opposition members staged a walkout and slammed Pal, who is the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) chairperson.
     Temperatures cooled down after Pal and the BJP members of the committee reached out to them, indicating their willingness to press for an extension of the JPC's deadline of November 29 to submit its report to Lok Sabha.
     Pal, who is a BJP MP, said the JPC was unanimous in its view as it has to listen to some other stakeholders, including six states, where there are disputes between the waqf and the state governments.
     "We feel that there is a need to extend its deadline," Pal told reporters.
     BJP MP and committee member Aparajita Sarangi said the panel will request Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to extend the time for submission of its report to the House upto the last day of the Budget Session of 2025.
     Pal is likely to move a resolution in the Lower House to this effect.
     The committee is expected to visit a few states to meet different stakeholders.
     Following the last meeting of the committee on November 21, Pal had said its draft report is ready. He indicated that the JPC's consultation with stakeholders is over and its members will now discuss the report and suggest changes if any before it is adopted.
     The opposition members took strong exception to this stand in the Wednesday's meeting and soon stormed out. They claimed that Birla had assured them that its tenure will be extended.
     Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, "We haven't received the assurance from the committee chairperson that we have received from the Speaker. The Speaker says one thing while the chairperson says another thing.
     "It seems some big minister is directing the action of chairman," he said.
     DMK MP A Raja said all the stakeholders have not been heard yet.
     AIMIM member Asaduddin Owaisi said the committee will not be able to submit its report by November 29 if it follows the due process.
     AAP member Sanjay Singh also slammed the committee's proceedings under Pal's leadership, while Trinamool Congress member Kalyan Banerjee called it a mockery.
     However, Pal and other BJP members like Nishikant Dubey and Sarangi reached out to opposition members.
     They held an informal sitting outside the meeting's venue to thrash things out before the opposition members agreed to be part of the formal discussion.
     The committee was constituted on August 8, soon after the contentious bill was introduced in Lok Sabha.
     Opposition parties have stridently criticised the amendments proposed by the bill in the existing Waqf Act, alleging that they violate the religious rights of Muslims. The ruling BJP has asserted that the amendments will bring transparency in the functioning of the waqf boards and make them accountable.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)