Opposition leaders write to LS Speaker Om Birla alleging 'gross violation' of rules during JPC meeting on Waqf Bill

The letter came a day after several opposition MPs boycotted a sitting of the committee over the submission of former Karnataka State Minorities Commission chairman Anwar Manippady, who named Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and K Rahman Khan, in the alleged embezzlement of Waqf properties.

New DelhI: Opposition leaders on Tuesday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla alleging “gross violation” of Parliamentary code during the meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf Bill by Chairman Jagdambika Pal. The letter, signed by all the Opposition members, states that the proceedings were conducted in a “biased and partisan” manner.

The letter comes after the Opposition MPs staged a walkout on Monday during a meeting of the JPC alleging that the forum was misused by former Karnataka Minorities Commission chief Anwar Manipaddy to level allegations against the Karnataka government as well as Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.

“The invitation extended to Mr Anwar Manippady to depose evidence before the Committee by the Chairperson is not within the scope and ambit of the Committee. Mr Manippady introduced himself as the chairperson of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission and more significantly the spokesperson and former Vice President of the Karataka unit of the Bhartiya Janta Party,” the MPs stated in the letter.

They also said that at the beginning of his remarks, Manippady circulated a note titled “Presentation on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2012 based on Karnataka Waqf Scam Report 2012” to the committee members. The note, the lawmakers said, contained no observations on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024.

“Instead, it was full of politically motivated allegations against leaders of the Karnataka Congress, including Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Hon'ble Leader of Opposition (Rajya Sabha). Despite vehement protests by several committee members that Shri Kharge occupies a constitutional position of high dignity and is not present in the meeting, the witness was allowed to speak by the Chairperson. Further, he refused to provide adequate time to committee members to lodge their protests,” the MPs said.

They also said that Pal’s decision to allow Manipaddy to continue speaking goes against basic rules of procedure as outlined in ‘Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha’. “The rules clearly state that matters which are sub judice, cannot be discussed incidentally. .. Subsequently under Rule 353 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, defamatory or incriminatory allegations cannot be made against any person unless the member is given adequate advance notice,” the further said.

The members also complained that they were “deprived of their fundamental right” to voice their concerns and thoughts in a highly democratic space. “As a result, several committee members were forced to boycott Committee proceedings for the entire day. We believe that it is imperative to inform you of the situation, as it not only involves an insult to the Hon'ble Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha, but paves a way for a marked departure from the spirit of bipartisanship and dignity expected from a parliamentary committee,” they said.

The letter was signed by Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi and Naseer Hussain, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee, AAP MP Sanjay Singh, DMK’s A Raja, Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant, among others.