BJP lawmaker and chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) discussing the Waqf Bill Jagdambika Pal responded to claims by opposition leaders that only edited versions of their dissent notes were carried and said that the substantive parts of their objections were carried, “personal abuses” weren’t, and that after the adoption of the report, there is no scope for changes.
The JPC adopted the report by a 15-11 majority on January 29.
On Monday, Opposition lawmakers alleged that the panel ignored representations from stakeholders, depositions of witnesses, and their own submissions. Pal told HT that the panel fulfilled its duty, spoke to a wide range of stakeholders and held 38 meetings to discuss the bill.
Defending the decision to delete some parts of the dissent notes, Pal said, “It is the right of every member of a committee to give dissent notes to express their views on the various clauses of the bill. During the discussion on the bills, every member has spoken at length on the clauses. Speeches and dissent note are not the same. The report contains all the objections on the clauses of the bill, but personal abuses can’t be part of the report.”
Pal added that the JPC, which is a special panel, has functioned as per the established norms and rules. “We had due deliberations on the bill. Several minority bodies, waqf boards and other organizations have deposed before the panel. There is a set procedure of JPC. We held 38 meetings, called more than 250 delegations/ witness.”
When it was pointed out that Opposition leaders have written to the Speaker Om Birla against the deletion of parts of the dissent notes, Pal said that the Speaker is the sole authority to address matters that have been referred to him. But underlined that once a report is adopted, there is nil scope for amendments.
“A member is entitled to write to the Speaker, who is our custodian. But no change can be done after adoption of the report. Have you ever heard that after a bill is passed by both Houses, the bill again comes back for changes?”
Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmakers Kalyan Banerjee and Nadimul Haque on Monday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, alleging that key portions of their dissent notes submitted to the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 were expunged without their knowledge.
They alleged that the committee ignored representations from stakeholders, depositions of witnesses, and submissions from Opposition members. “The whole exercise of collecting evidence and consulting stakeholders was made meaningless,” the letter added.