On Monday, several Opposition MPs boycotted a meeting of the parliamentary committee reviewing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, alleging that the panel was not adhering to parliamentary rules. The boycott followed accusations against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge levelled by BJP leader that the Congress president was involved in a Waqf land scam.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee, which has been marked by frequent clashes between BJP and Opposition members, saw tensions escalate when opposition MPs objected to the presence of representatives from Hindu organisations giving testimony on legislation primarily concerning Muslim religious properties, reported PTI.
The walkout was triggered by the deposition of Anwar Manippady, former chairman of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission and former Karnataka BJP vice-president. Manippady accused several Congress leaders, including Kharge and Rehman Khan, of involvement in misappropriating Waqf properties in Karnataka.
According to PTI, Opposition MPs protested that parliamentary procedures prohibit levelling unsubstantiated accusations against prominent individuals, especially when they are not present to defend themselves. They also objected to Manippady's call for Muslims not to oppose the proposed amendments, which they considered inappropriate and inflammatory.
"Such allegations cannot be made without the accused being present to respond," said one opposition MP. Despite these objections, the committee's chairperson, BJP leader Jagdambika Pal, overruled them and allowed the testimony to continue, arguing that it was pertinent to the bill under discussion.
In response, opposition MPs—including Congress leaders Gaurav Gogoi and Imran Masood, DMK’s A Raja, Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant, AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, Samajwadi Party’s Mohibbullah, and AAP’s Sanjay Singh—staged a walkout, voicing their strong dissatisfaction with the proceedings.
Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant told reporters that the committee was not functioning according to established rules and regulations. The opposition members later convened a separate meeting to discuss their next steps, with plans to write to the Lok Sabha Speaker regarding their concerns.
A key point of contention was the committee’s decision to invite several Hindu organisations to provide their views on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. Opposition MPs argued that these organisations had no standing in discussions about Waqf matters, which concern Muslim religious endowments.
However, sources within the BJP defended the decision, stating that these organisations had raised concerns about how the Waqf law affects non-Muslim properties, including temple lands. They maintained that such consultations were necessary for a comprehensive review of the bill.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi had earlier written to Jagdambika Pal objecting to the inclusion of groups like Sanatan Sanstha and Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, accusing them of promoting extremist ideologies. In his letter, Owaisi noted that these organisations advocate for the establishment of a "Hindu Rashtra" and have been involved in insurrectionary activities against the Indian state.
Other individuals called to testify before the committee included prominent lawyers Vishnu Shankar Jain and Ashwini Upadhyay, along with Mahant Sudhirdas Maharaj from Maharashtra’s Kalaram Temple. On the opposing side, Mehmood Madani of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind also appeared, voicing his organisation’s strong opposition to the proposed amendments in the Waqf Bill.