Waqf Bill: Oppn members meet Speaker Om Birla over chairman’s ‘unilateral’ decisions

Opposition members in the parliamentary committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday, 5 November, to register their protest against the alleged "unilateral" decisions being taken by panel chairman and BJP MP Jagdambika Pal.

They said the Speaker heard them patiently and assured them of a decision at the earliest.

"It was a very nice discussion. He was very kind to us. The Speaker has very patiently heard us and said he will look into the matter," TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh and DMK MP A. Raja spoke on similar lines.

The MPs also submitted a memorandum to the Speaker detailing their concerns.

According to sources, the MPs submitted a letter to the Speaker, signed by Opposition MPs including Congress' Mohammad Jawed and Imran Masood, DMK's Raja, AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi, AAP's Sanjay Singh and TMC's Kalyan Banerjee.

Opposition MPs have accused Pal, the chairperson of the committee scrutinising the Bill, of taking 'unilateral decisions' on fixing the dates of sittings — which were at times for three consecutive days — and whom to call as witnesses.

The MPs, in the memorandum, urged the Speaker to direct the chairman of the JPC to have a formal consultation with members of the committee before taking decisions on such issues, according to sources.

They had also said they may be forced to "disassociate with JPC once and for all as we have been stonewalled".

To a query on the issue on Tuesday, the MPs refused to divulge details. "We cannot reveal the details of the conversation," Singh said.

On whether they will continue to attend the meetings of the joint committee of the two Houses, Banerjee said, "Yes, we will attend because the Speaker is looking into the matter."

The committee's proceedings have been stormy amid frequent protests from opposition members over a host of issues, while the BJP members have accused them of deliberately trying to scuttle its work.