Code Of Conduct Violated During Meet On Waqf Bill: Opposition MPs Write To Speaker After Brawl

New Delhi: Several Opposition MPs on Tuesday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla alleging gross violation of parliamentary code of conduct during the meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bil, 2024.

“The proceedings of the Committee were conducted in a biased and partisan manner by the Chairperson Jagdambika Pal. The invitation extended to Anwar Manippady to depose evidence before the Committee by the Chairperson is not within the scope and ambit of the Committee…We request your immediate intervention in the matter, and expect you to remind the Chairperson of the Committee of his duty to be bipartisan and uphold parliamentary norms…,” reads the letter

Earlier in the day, a clash broke out between MPs of the BJP and the Opposition during a meeting of the parliamentary committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The opposition accused the BJP MPs of using offensive language. They also walked out of the meeting for the second consecutive day.

The brawl erupted after a heated exchange between BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey, Dilip Saikia, Abhijit Ganguly and Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee and Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi, reports stated. They argued over the proposal to include women in Waqf boards. The BJP MPs alleged that the Opposition members were abusing the chairperson.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was tabled on July 28. The legislation was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on August 8 following strong objections by the Opposition.

Earlier, on Monday, the Opposition had staged a walkout after Anwar Manippady, former chairperson of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission, accused Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge of being involved in Waqf land scams. The Opposition MPs alleged that “unproven allegations” against “high dignitaries” couldn’t be made at the meetings of the Parliamentary panel.