Opposition boycotts over invitation to Hindu organisations in joint parliamentary committee meeting on Waqf Board

New Delhi – The Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on the Waqf Board Bill, held on October 14, witnessed chaos due to opposition parties’ objection to the presence of representatives from Hindu organizations. As a result, the opposition boycotted the meeting and now plans to approach Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to demand the removal of the committee chairman.

According to sources, MPs Mohammad Javed and Asaduddin Owaisi raised objections to committee chairman Jagdambika Pal over inviting Hindu organizations to the discussion. They questioned the relevance of Hindu organizations’ role in the Waqf Board meeting. During the session, former Karnataka Minority Commission chairman Anwar Manipady criticized the Karnataka government and accused Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge of personally controlling Waqf Board lands. This led to a strong protest by the opposition, who eventually boycotted the meeting.

Representatives of Hindu Organizations Present at the Meeting: Attendees included Sudhirdas Maharaj from the Kalaram Temple in Nashik, advocate Amruta Sachdeva from Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Sanatan Sanstha’s national spokesperson Chetan Rajhans, and religious preacher Abhay Vartak. Senior advocates such as H.H. Hari Shankar Jain, Vishnu Shankar Jain, and advocate Mr Ashwini Upadhyay were also invited to the meeting.

Editorial Perspective

The decision to invite or not invite participants to the meeting is within the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Committee appointed by the Union government, making the objections to this decision unfounded.