Disruption in JPC Meeting on Waqf Bill: Marshals Called, Opposition MPs Suspended

At the Waqf Amendment Bill Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting, marshals had to be deployed after the house plunged into chaos. Ten opposition members, including Asaduddin Owaisi and Kalyan Banerjee, were suspended for a day. The decision was proposed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and upheld by Chairman Jagdambika Pal. Opposition MPs claimed that the voices of its members were not being heard as they staged an irate protest.

The melee was ignited by the opposition's insistence that the adoption of the report be put off to January 31 instead of the revised date of January 27. Clause-by-clause discussions were initially set for January 24 and 25 but were rescheduled late Thursday night, leaving opposition MPs discontented. The failure to meet these demands escalated the situation.

Suspension Details and Previous Disputes

MPs suspended include Imran Masood, Arvind Sawant, Nasir Hussain, A. Raja, and others. It is not the first time a JPC meeting on the Waqf Bill has been disrupted; the issue has been contentious.

Progress of the Committee and Report

The JPC, comprising 31 members from both houses of Parliament, has held 34 meetings and consulted over 24 stakeholders. It is likely to present a 500-page report in the upcoming budget session that will address all contentious issues regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill. Even with the disruptions, the committee is still working towards its objectives.