"Disappointing that opposition's dissent notes have not been included in JPC report": AAP's Sanjay Singh
Feb 13, 2025
New Delhi [India], February 13 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on Thursday expressed his disappointment alleging the deletion of dissent notes from the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which was tabled in the Rajya Sabha today.
The AAP MP, who was also a committee member of the JPC, claimed that the BJP-led NDA government at the centre would bring a bill to possess the lands of Gurdwaras, Temples, and Churches and distribute it among its 'capitalist' friends.
"It is disappointing that the Opposition's dissent notes have not been included in the report... This is just the beginning. Soon, they will bring a bill to possess the lands of Gurdwaras, Temples, and Churches and give this land to their capitalist friends," Singh said.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari also expressed dissatisfaction with the way the JPC report has been submitted.
"We are not satisfied with the way the JPC report has been submitted... As per the rules, all the suggestions have to be presented verbatim... The minister is saying that everything is annexed... We will submit a privilege motion in this regard if needed," Tiwari stated.
Meanwhile, the JPC report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker on Thursday.
Congress National President and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Thursday opposed the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, alleging that dissent notes from Opposition members were removed.
However, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju dismissed the Opposition's claims, saying that nothing was deleted from the report.
"There is no deletion or removal of any part of the report. Everything is tabled on the floor of the House. Don't mislead the House. I am very pained to say that the Opposition parties are making unnecessary issues by raising issues without facts. The allegation is false. There was no violation of any rules by the JPC. All the dissent notes are also included in the report. This is very unfortunate," Rijiju said.
A major uproar erupted in both houses of Parliament on Thursday before the JPC report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was tabled.
Kharge said that it is not right to remove the dissent notes and views of the Opposition members from the report.
The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to address these challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.
