NewDelhi: A war of words between TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee and BJP member Nishikant Dubey erupted during a meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Bill on Friday. The confrontation resulted in a temporary adjournment of the meeting.
The row erupted when Kalyan Banerjee asked about the urgency of calling the meeting. Banerjee’s remarks were objected to by Nishikant Dubey, leading to a heated exchange of words between the two leaders. In the wake of the escalation, 10 opposition MPs were suspended from the committee for one day, and the meeting was adjourned till December 27.
The Mirwaiz of Kashmir was called to appear before the parliamentary committee on Friday to explain the objections to the measures in the draft Waqf Amendment Bill, according to PTI.
The Joint Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill, also chaired by a BJP leader, Jagdambika Pal, decided to defer the deliberation on the draft law to the next week after opposition leaders objected to it. The committee will meet again on Monday to discuss the bill in detail. Besides Mirwaiz, the committee is also scheduled to hear views of the Lawyers for Justice group on Friday.
UDF MP Francis George, who had extended support for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, later backtracked on his statement on Thursday, stating his remarks were taken out of context. He had previously said that, as a public representative and a member of a political party, he would back the new bill. George, who is Kottayam MP in the Lok Sabha, had a quick clarification about Mamata’s remarks, saying it was never said that he would endorse the Waqf Amendment Bill. He said his position was consistent with that of the UDF and Congress, which had backed a resolution in the Kerala Assembly opposing the central government’s move to amend the Waqf Act.