The suspended members are Kalyan Banerjee and Nadimul Haque from the Trinamool Congress; Mohammad Jawed, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Imran Masood of the Congress; A. Raja and Mohamed Abdullah representing the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam; Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen; Mohibbullah Nadvi from the Samajwadi Party; and Arvind Sawant of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray). The suspension was enacted following a motion by Bharatiya Janata Party member Nishikant Dubey, which the committee adopted.
The contention arose during a session where Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was presenting his views on the proposed Waqf legislation. Opposition members protested against what they described as a last-minute alteration to the meeting's agenda by Chairman Pal. They alleged that Pal had a telephonic conversation during the meeting, after which he abruptly suspended them. In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the suspended members demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the identity of the person Pal contacted during the session.
Chairman Pal refuted the allegations, asserting that the opposition members were intent on disrupting the meeting. He specifically accused Kalyan Banerjee of hurling abuses at him, which compelled him to adjourn the meeting twice in an attempt to restore order. Pal emphasized that the suspension was a necessary measure to maintain the decorum and functionality of the committee.
This incident is the latest in a series of confrontations within the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. In October 2024, several opposition members, including Sanjay Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party and Syed Naseer Hussain of the Congress, walked out of a meeting, protesting against a presentation by the Delhi Waqf Board. They claimed that the board's administrator had made unauthorized changes to the presentation without the Delhi government's knowledge.
Further discord was evident in November 2024, when opposition members staged another walkout, objecting to Chairman Pal's decision to table the draft report of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill without adequate discussion. They argued that many state Waqf boards had not yet been consulted and demanded an extension of the committee's tenure to ensure comprehensive deliberation.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 8, 2024, seeks to repeal the Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923, and amend the Waqf Act, 1995. The proposed amendments aim to redefine the management and oversight of Waqf properties, including provisions to streamline the registration process through a central portal and database, reform the tribunal structure for dispute resolution, and ensure representation of various Muslim communities, including women and non-Muslims, in Waqf boards.
The bill has been a focal point of contention between the ruling party and the opposition. Critics argue that certain provisions could lead to governmental overreach and undermine the autonomy of Waqf institutions. Proponents, however, assert that the amendments are necessary to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the management of Waqf properties.