Oppn-Govt Faceoff: No Waqf Bill this Session, panel set to get an extension to continue talks

Earlier, after a meeting of the Parliament panel Wednesday, Pal had said: “Nishikant (Dubey)ji and other members, including Aparajita Sarangi and Dilip Saikia, and others have raised that we still have to invite other stakeholders and some state officials like from six states where there are disputes between Waqf and state governments; regarding 123 properties, there is a dispute between Government of India, Urban Ministry, and DDA with Waqf Board also. We feel that it is needed we seek extension…”

Pal’s statement came after Opposition members stormed out of the meeting alleging that procedures and rules were not being followed and the panel chairman was willing to submit a report November 29 despite their request to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to extend the tenure of the committee.

Gaurav Gogoi of the Congress, A Raja of the DMK, Sanjay Singh of AAP and Kalyan Banerjee of the TMC alleged that Pal was keen to wrap proceedings by the November 29 deadline without completing due process.
Said Gogoi: “We have raised two important questions – the assurance that we have got from the Speaker (Lok Sabha) we aren’t getting that assurance by the chairman (committee). It means that there is no balance between the government and the Speaker.” He claimed that a “big Union Minister” was giving directions to the committee chairman who was “giving importance to (the) big minister instead of the Speaker.” Gogoi added that the process is yet to be completed. “We have to collect information from so many people. The chairman said that the report is ready but we don’t want to be part of a biased procedure.”

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said: “How can there be a draft report ready? (There’s) no interaction with us. He (Chairman) has said already the draft is ready….We have not passed any comments. We have only examined the witnesses, so many witnesses have not been called yet. West Bengal, so many governments have not been called, we have not examined Central government ministries.”

Sources said BJP’s allies TDP and JD(U) during the meeting were also in support of extension of the panel’s tenure.

A panel member from the ruling side said that an extension was required also because six states, including UP, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, where there are disputes between the government and waqf boards over waqf properties, were yet to send their reports on such properties despite repeated reminders.

Opposition members of the panel had met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Monday and requested a reasonable extension. In a letter given to the Speaker, the Opposition members wrote that the committee had its first meeting on August 22 and had held only 25 sittings, including those where presentations were made by “various irrelevant” organisations and individuals.

The Centre had referred the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, tabled on August 8, to the committee following the Opposition’s objections. It tasked the panel to submit a report by the end of the first week of the winter session, which is scheduled to be held from November 25 to December 20. The committee comprises 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha and includes 13 Opposition members (nine from the Lower House and four from the Upper House).