Kharge calls Waqf JPC report 'unconstitutional'; Centre says Opposition misleading issue

New Delhi, Feb 13: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Waqf (Amendment) bill tabled its report in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday amidst uproar by the members of the Opposition members. As the chaos prevailed, the House was adjourned for 10 minutes and convened again with both sides engaging in discussion on the bill. Leader of the House J.P. Nadda also condemned the Opposition for creating a ruckus during the reading of the President's note.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, called the report "unconstitutional" and "fake." He claimed that multiple members had submitted dissent notes, but the majority view was forced through without due consideration. "The JPC report on Waqf had dissenting views from several members, but they were bulldozed. This is not right. It is condemnable and an anti-democratic act," Kharge stated.

Expressing "shock," he said, "The dissenting views were deleted, and the report is being tabled. I condemn this, and the House will never accept this fake report." He demanded that if dissenting views were excluded, the report should be withdrawn and reviewed again. He urged Leader of the House J.P. Nadda to take back the "unconstitutional" JPC report. Following the uproar, Nadda hit back at the Opposition, slamming their conduct. "Debates and discussions are necessary in Parliament. In a democracy, we agree to disagree. But we must uphold traditions and conduct proceedings in a constitutional manner," he asserted.

Expressing disappointment, he added, "Despite repeated requests from the Chair, the Opposition disrupted the House even during the President's message. This behaviour is highly irresponsible and deserves strong condemnation." Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also targeted the Opposition, accusing them of "misleading" the issue. He stated that no part of the report had been deleted or altered. "Some of the concerns raised by the Opposition were verified, and I found that no section of the report was removed. Everything has been tabled before the House. On what basis are these allegations being made? Do not mislead the issue," Rijiju said, dismissing the claims as false.

He further pointed out that the Opposition was actively involved in the preparation of the report over the past six months. Jagdambika Pal, BJP MP and Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, had earlier said that the committee was presenting its report after months of consultations. Pal highlighted that disagreements were part of the legislative process. He added that even after the report's finalisation, dissenting members were invited to submit their notes of dissent, which were included in the final report along with stakeholders feedback.

Despite this, opposition leaders continued to express their objections. Trinamool Congress MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Md Nadimul Haque, both JPC members, accused the committee of expunging key portions of their dissent notes from the final report. The Waqf Act of 1995, introduced to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticized for mismanagement, corruption, and illegal encroachments. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to address these concerns by implementing reforms, including digitisation of records, enhanced auditing measures, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim unlawfully occupied properties.