Waqf parliamentary panel set for extension till last day of Budget Session

New Delhi: The parliamentary committee scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is set for an extension till the last day of the next Budget Session following a stormy meet of the panel marked by a brief walkout from its opposition members before a unanimous decision was taken to seek more time to finalise its report.

The opposition members of the committee staged a walkout and slammed chairman Jagdambika Pal, who is the joint parliamentary committee chairperson, for asserting that the panel's draft report was ready.

Temperatures cooled down after Pal and the BJP members of the committee reached out to them, indicating their willingness to press for an extension of the committee's deadline of November 29 to submit its report to Lok Sabha.

The Lok Sabha, which had constituted the committee, later listed in its list of business for Thursday a motion to extend the time for the presentation of its report "upto the last day of the Budget Session 2025".

Earlier, Pal, who is a BJP MP, said after the committee's meeting that its members were unanimous in its view as it has to listen to some other stakeholders, including six states, where there are disputes between the waqf and the state governments.

"We feel that there is a need to extend its deadline," Pal told reporters.

BJP MP and committee member Aparajita Sarangi said the panel will request Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to extend the time for submission of its report to the House upto the last day of the Budget Session of 2025.

Pal and another BJP MP Dilip Saikia will move the motion in the Lower House to this effect.

The committee is expected to visit a few states to meet different stakeholders.

Following the last meeting of the committee on November 21, Pal had said its draft report is ready. He indicated that the committee's consultation with stakeholders is over and its members will now discuss the report and suggest changes, if any, before it is adopted.

The opposition members took strong exception to this stand in the Wednesday's meeting and soon stormed out. They claimed that Birla had assured them that its tenure will be extended.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, "We haven't received the assurance from the committee chairperson that we have received from the Speaker. The Speaker says one thing while the chairperson says another thing.

"It seems some big minister is directing the action of chairman," he said.

DMK MP A Raja said all the stakeholders have not been heard yet.

AIMIM member Asaduddin Owaisi said the committee will not be able to submit its report by November 29 if it follows the due process.

AAP member Sanjay Singh also slammed the committee's proceedings under Pal's leadership, while Trinamool Congress member Kalyan Banerjee called it a mockery.

However, Pal and other BJP members like Nishikant Dubey and Sarangi reached out to the opposition members.

They held an informal sitting outside the meeting's venue to thrash things out before the opposition members agreed to be part of the formal discussion.

The committee was constituted on August 8, soon after the contentious bill was introduced in Lok Sabha.

Opposition parties have stridently criticised the amendments proposed by the bill in the existing Waqf Act, alleging that they violate the religious rights of Muslims.

The ruling BJP has asserted that the amendments will bring transparency in the functioning of the waqf boards and make them accountable.