Kalyan Banerjee, A Raja, Asaduddin Owaisi...: 10 opposition MPs suspended after chaos erupts at JPC meet over Waqf Bill 2024

Ten opposition MPs were suspended for a day on Friday following chaos during the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waqf (Amendment Bill) 2024. The MPs include Kalyan Banerjee, Md Jawaid, A Raja, Asaduddin Owaisi, Nasir Hussain, Mohibullah, M Abdullah, Arvind Sawant, Nadimul Haq, and Imran Masood.

The meeting descended into disorder as opposition MPs accused the government of rushing the bill’s approval ahead of the Delhi elections. Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee lambasted the committee chair, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, for allegedly ignoring opposition voices. “The chairman doesn’t listen to anyone; it feels like ‘zamindari.’ This JPC has become a farce,” Banerjee said.

Banerjee further alleged that the meeting’s agenda was abruptly changed to stifle opposition input. “We were told the meeting would proceed clause by clause, but everything was altered last minute. This feels like an undeclared emergency,” he added.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi claimed the government was attempting to dismantle Waqf properties. “This Waqf bill is very delicate. Rushing it will have bad consequences. The government wants to destroy Waqf properties,” Owaisi said, criticizing the urgency surrounding the legislation.

The suspended MPs addressed Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, demanding the meeting scheduled for January 27 be postponed to allow more time for discussion.

Meanwhile, BJP MPs defended the suspensions. Nishikant Dubey moved the motion to suspend the opposition members, accusing them of undermining parliamentary democracy. BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi condemned the opposition’s behaviour, describing it as “disgusting” and alleging the use of unparliamentary language.

"Opposition leaders led by Kalyan Banerjee used very unparliamentary language against the JPC chairperson Jagdambika Pal, a very senior leader. We condemn this. We want the meeting to be held but at the same time, JPC can not continue till eternity. The entire discussion has to come to an end," she said.

The JPC meeting has seen previous disruptions, with tensions peaking in October last year when Kalyan Banerjee reportedly smashed a glass bottle during a confrontation and hurled it at the committee's chairperson, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal. As a result of this incident, Banerjee was injured.