New Delhi: Union Minister of Parliament Affairs, Kiren Rijiju said on Thursday that there had been no deletions or removals of dissent from the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. His remarks came amid a heated debate in the Rajya Sabha, where opposition leaders staged a walkout, alleging procedural irregularities in the report’s preparation.
The JPC report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday amidst intense protests and persistent sloganeering by opposition members. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni presented the report and also submitted a copy of the record of evidence provided before the panel regarding the bill.
Following the report’s presentation, chaos erupted in the Upper House of Parliament, prompting an adjournment of the session until 11:20 AM. However, when proceedings resumed, opposition MPs once again disrupted the session, leading to continued disorder.
In response to the opposition’s claims, Rijiju dismissed their allegations as baseless and accused them of fabricating an “unnecessary” controversy.
“I have thoroughly examined the concerns raised by the opposition. There have been no deletions or removals from the report. Everything is available on the floor of the House. On what grounds are these allegations being made? The opposition members are deliberately creating an issue that has no factual basis. Their claims are false,” Rijiju asserted in the Rajya Sabha.
He further clarified that the JPC had adhered to due procedures and emphasized that opposition members had actively participated in all committee proceedings over the past six months. “The JPC functioned entirely in accordance with the rules. Every opposition member in the JPC engaged in all discussions and deliberations over the last six months. All dissenting opinions are recorded in the Appendix of the report. They cannot mislead the House,” he added. Rijiju also asserted that no JPC had ever operated with as much transparency as this one.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticized the proposed amendment, arguing that instead of relying on the existing Waqf Act, the government was attempting to introduce a politically motivated revision.
Separately, JPC Chairman and BJP MP Jagadambika Pal, while addressing the media, highlighted that the committee had undertaken extensive nationwide consultations before finalizing the report. He emphasized that the committee had incorporated 25 amendments across 14 clauses.
“Today, the JPC will present its report in Parliament. The committee was constituted six months ago to ensure an in-depth discussion and examination of the matter. Over the past six months, we have extensively toured different parts of the country to gather input and have formulated our report accordingly. We have introduced 25 amendments across 14 clauses,” Pal stated.