Badruddin Ajmal, the chief of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), has sparked a significant controversy by claiming that the Parliament building and its surrounding areas in the national capital were constructed on Waqf land. His statements were made during a press conference where he addressed reporters and raised concerns regarding the use of Waqf properties.
Ajmal claimed that the region around Vasant Vihar, extending to the airport, falls on Waqf property. He highlighted that there is growing awareness and documentation regarding Waqf properties, asserting that even the airport itself is built on such land.
He expressed strong disapproval of using Waqf land without proper authorization, suggesting that the government may soon face repercussions for these actions.
This statement comes amidst a larger debate within the Parliament regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024. Several opposition MPs have raised serious concerns about the conduct of the Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting discussing this bill, alleging gross violations of parliamentary conduct.
They have written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, detailing their grievances regarding the meeting's proceedings, which they claim were heavily biassed and lacked transparency.
In the letter, the opposition MPs criticised the Chairperson of the Committee, Jagdambika Pal, for allegedly conducting the meeting in a partial manner. They specifically mentioned that the invitation extended to Anwar Manippady to present evidence before the Committee was outside the scope of the Committee's agenda.
The MPs noted that the presentation shared by Manippady did not address the Waqf Bill but instead contained politically charged allegations against leaders of the Karnataka Congress, including prominent politician Mallikarjun Kharge.
The situation escalated during the meeting on October 14, where opposition MPs accused Manippady of deviating from the agenda and making irrelevant allegations against the Karnataka government.
They expressed their frustration that his remarks were allowed to proceed despite their protests, which they felt undermined the dignity of the Leader of the Opposition.
The opposition members stressed that such conduct goes against the fundamental principles of parliamentary procedure and undermines the decorum expected in such forums.
The opposition MPs described their experience in the meeting as a blatant disregard for democratic values. They emphasised that their fundamental right to express concerns was violated, indicating that the atmosphere in the Joint Parliamentary Committee had become increasingly partisan. They urged Speaker Birla to intervene and remind the Chairperson of the importance of bipartisanship in parliamentary proceedings.
Tensions heightened when the opposition MPs staged a walkout in protest of what they termed abusive language used by a BJP MP during the discussion. Although they returned to the meeting afterward, they remained dissatisfied with the Chairperson's handling of various issues.
They reiterated that the Chairman was favouring BJP and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs, further compounding their sense of marginalisation within the committee.
The MPs had previously staged a walkout during another meeting on the Waqf Bill due to the same allegations levelled by Manippady. Their consistent concerns reflect a broader unease within the opposition regarding the treatment of their members and the integrity of parliamentary discussions.
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