cpi-m-slams-suspension-of-opposition-mps-over-waqf-bill-by-jpc

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has strongly criticised the recent actions of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) Chairman concerning the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

 

In a statement, the CPI(M) disapproved of the decision to suspend opposition members from the committee, calling it an attempt to undermine the parliamentary process. The party accused the government of bypassing democratic norms and stifling legitimate opposition within the committee system.

 

The controversy erupted after 10 opposition MPs were suspended during a JPC meeting on the Waqf Bill. The MPs, including Kalyan Banerjee, Md Jawaid, A Raja, Asaduddin Owaisi, Nasir Hussain, and others, were accused of disrupting the proceedings.

 

The opposition members alleged that the government was rushing the bill’s approval ahead of the Delhi elections, creating an atmosphere of disorder during the meeting.

 

Responding to the suspensions, JPC member and BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal accused the opposition of conspiracy and misconduct. He claimed the opposition MPs had failed to sign the attendance sheet and intentionally created a ruckus.

 

Jaiswal further stated that the opposition’s actions were aimed at suppressing the voices of Maulanas and Ulemas from Jammu and Kashmir who were set to present their views before the Lok Sabha.

 

BJP leader Dilip Ghosh also criticised the opposition’s stance on the Waqf Bill, labelling their resistance as a political tactic to gain votes. Ghosh argued that the bill represented a step towards removing remnants of colonial occupation and that its passage was in the interest of poor Muslims across the country.

 

He compared the opposition’s resistance to previous attempts to block major reforms like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Goods and Services Tax (GST), and the abrogation of Article 370, all of which had ultimately been implemented.

 

The CPI(M), however, has called for collective resistance against what it perceives as an erosion of democratic principles. It urged all those committed to upholding democracy and parliamentary sovereignty to oppose such actions by the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.