10 Opposition MPs Suspended Amid Chaos During JPC Meeting On Waqf Amendment Bill

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

After the meeting, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee strongly criticized committee chairman Jagdambika Pal, accusing him of disregarding opposition voices and conducting the proceedings in an authoritarian manner. “We repeatedly requested the meeting be held on January 30 and 31, but our appeals were ignored. When we arrived in Delhi, the agenda was abruptly changed. This feels like an undeclared emergency,” Banerjee said, alleging that the process was politically motivated due to the upcoming Delhi elections.

In contrast, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused the opposition of disrupting parliamentary democracy and proposed the motion to suspend the MPs, which the panel approved. BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi condemned the opposition’s behavior, describing it as “disgusting” and blaming them for using unparliamentary language against chairman Jagdambika Pal. “We want the discussions to proceed, but the JPC cannot continue indefinitely. The opposition is turning this into chaos,” Sarangi remarked.

The meeting began with opposition MPs criticizing the government for not allowing adequate time to review changes to the draft legislation. Discussions were briefly adjourned due to escalating tensions but later resumed, with the committee hearing views from a Mirwaiz-led delegation from Kashmir.

Opposition leaders, including Kalyan Banerjee and Naseer Hussain, walked out, calling the proceedings a "farce." Banerjee alleged that the government was rushing the bill’s approval for political gains, ignoring the input of opposition members.

This is not the first time the JPC meeting on the Waqf Amendment Bill has been disrupted. A similar incident occurred in October last year when a heated exchange between Banerjee and BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay resulted in Banerjee smashing a glass bottle and sustaining injuries during the altercation.