In its Joint Committee meeting on the Waqf Amendment Bill, opposition members staged a walkout in protest. The controversy arose over a presentation by the Delhi Waqf Board, which opposition members claimed was modified without the approval or knowledge of the Delhi government.

Among those who walked out were Sanjay Singh from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Mohammed Abdulla from the DMK, and Naseer Hussain and Mohamed Jawed from the Congress. They alleged that Delhi Waqf Board Administrator and MCD Commissioner Ashwini Kumar had significantly altered the original report without securing permission from the chief minister.

The walkout underscored opposition concerns about transparency and procedural integrity in the handling of the Waqf Amendment Bill. The Lok Sabha recently approved a motion to form a joint panel of 21 members, including 10 members from the Rajya Sabha, to further discuss the proposed amendments.

Opposition members raised serious concerns, accusing MCD Commissioner and Delhi Waqf Board Administrator Ashwini Kumar of making unauthorized changes to the Waqf Board’s initial report without consulting or obtaining approval from the chief minister. They argued that such significant modifications to an official document without proper authorization undermined the integrity of the report and disrespected established governmental processes. By bypassing the chief minister’s oversight, they claimed, the alterations weakened the transparency and accountability expected in legislative proceedings. This, they believe, raises questions about the motives behind the changes and the potential impact on the broader discussion surrounding the Waqf Amendment Bill. The opposition’s stance reflects their insistence on procedural integrity, emphasizing that the government should ensure all revisions to sensitive documents undergo full scrutiny and approval at the highest levels before presentation.

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Joint Parliamentary Committee to Discuss Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024