Kalyan Banerjee 'abused' me during Waqf Bill JPC meet: Panel chief Jagdambika Pal

TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee

Jagdambika Pal, chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, on Friday accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee of using "unparliamentary" language against him.

Ten opposition MPs were suspended for the day from the joint parliamentary committee studying proposed changes to 44 sections of the Waqf Act of 1955.

“Twice we had to adjourn the House. Today, we gave time to the Mirwaiz Umar Farooq delegation from Jammu and Kashmir, which was a demand from the opposition... For the first time, we saw Owaisi sahab, who usually does not participate in bills in Parliament, also getting involved in the bill. And the way Kalyan Banerjee used unparliamentary words and abused me, I feel it was done deliberately,” Pal told ANI.

#WATCH | Delhi: Chairman of JPC on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Jagdambika Pal says, "Today's meeting has concluded. Two important delegations had come today, as witnesses. One delegation, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was from J&K. The other one was from Lawyers for Justice, which pic.twitter.com/dUFCATX8an

ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2025

The members who were suspended include Kalyan Banerjee, Mohammad Jawed, A Raja, Asaduddin Owaisi, Naseer Hussain, Mohibullah, Mohamed Abdullah, Arvind Sawant, Nadeem-ul Haque and Imran Masood.

Meanwhile, Banerjee criticised  Pal  for allegedly disregarding opposition voices. Banerjee accused Pal of conducting the proceedings in a manner akin to a "jamindari," implying an authoritarian approach. “We repeatedly requested the meeting to be held on January 30 and 31, but our requests were ignored. When we landed in Delhi last night, the subject of the meeting was changed. Initially, we were informed that the meeting would proceed clause by clause. What is happening inside feels like an undeclared emergency. They are rushing through things because of the Delhi elections — it is politically motivated. The chairman doesn’t listen to anyone; it feels like 'jamindari'. They show no respect for opposition members. This JPC has become a farce," he told ANI.

The parliamentary committee meeting began with opposition MPs accusing the government of not providing enough time to review proposed changes to the draft legislation.

Before inviting Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a religious leader from Kashmir, the committee discussed the Waqf Amendment Bill. Opposition leaders alleged that the BJP was rushing the report’s approval ahead of the Delhi elections.