MPs Protest Against Unnotified Expunction of Dissent Notes on Waqf Bill

Opposition MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Md. Nadimul Haque have protested the removal of their dissent notes from the Joint Parliamentary Committee report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. They allege procedural lapses, bias, and manipulation by the ruling party. A plea to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla demands reinstatement of their remarks.

Opposition Members of Parliament Kalyan Banerjee from the Lok Sabha and Md. Nadimul Haque from the Rajya Sabha have expressed serious concerns over the deletion of crucial parts of their dissent notes from the report circulated by the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Their complaints were addressed in a letter sent to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, where the MPs accused the committee of removing their objections without prior notice or justification.

In their letter dated February 3, 2025, the MPs revealed their surprise at finding their notes expunged without consultation. The dissent, initially submitted after the draft report received 14 votes in favor and 11 against, highlighted alleged biases and predetermined outcomes within the committee proceedings. Banerjee and Haque argued that the ruling party members, including the Chairperson, showed preconceived notions that ignored submissions from various stakeholders.

The MPs also claimed that stakeholder submissions, witness testimonies, and opposition members' inputs were overlooked. They accused procedural lapses, alleging the minutes were manipulated to reflect the Chairperson's perspective rather than an accurate account of the meetings. Banerjee and Haque insisted that their comments were parliamentary and legitimate, urging Speaker Birla to restore the expunged sections fully.