Brawl between NDA, Opposition MPs during Waqf bill panel meeting

The Opposition accused the BJP MPs of using offensive language against them and walked out of the meeting for the second consecutive day.  

A clash broke out between MPs of the ruling BJP and the Opposition during a meeting of the parliamentary committee examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Tuesday. The opposition accused the BJP MPs of using offensive language against them and walked out of the meeting for the second consecutive day.

The brawl erupted following a heated exchange between BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey, Dilip Saikia, Abhijit Ganguly and Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee and Congress's Gaurav Gogoi over the proposal to include women in Waqf boards.

The Opposition alleged that the committee's chairperson, Jagdambika Pal, was not functioning in accordance with rules and failed to take action against the BJP MPs. The BJP MPs, on the other hand, alleged the Opposition members were abusing the chairperson.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was tabled by the Centre on July 28. However, amid strong objections from opposition parties, the legislation was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on August 8.

On Monday, the Opposition 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. Manippady was among the members called for deposition on the legislation.

Citing rules, the Opposition MPs claimed that "unproven allegations" against "high dignitaries" cannot be made at the meetings of these panels. They claimed that the committee chairperson overruled their objections and allowed the deposition to continue.

Last month, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey wrote to Pal raising "serious concerns" about the massive 1.25 crore submissions received on the Waqf bill and sought an investigation by the Union Home Ministry. Dubey alleged that fundamentalist groups, individuals like Zakir Naik, or "foreign powers" might be involved.