In a dramatic turn of events, several opposition leaders staged a walkout during the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Monday. The protest was triggered by concerns regarding a presentation made by the Delhi Waqf Board, which the opposition claimed had been altered without the approval of the Delhi government.

Among those who left the meeting were Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh, DMK's Mohammed Abdulla, and Congress leaders Naseer Hussain and Mohamed Jawed. They voiced their objections after the administrator of the Delhi Waqf Board, Ashwini Kumar, presented changes to the report that had not been sanctioned by Chief Minister Atishi.

Chaired by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, the committee had summoned representatives from the Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttarakhand Waqf Boards to provide oral evidence regarding the proposed amendments to the Waqf Bill, 2024. Additionally, various organizations, including the Call for Justice group and the Waqf Tenant Welfare Association, were invited to share their views and suggestions.

The tension in the room was palpable, as the opposition leaders accused the MCD Commissioner and the Waqf Board's administrator of undermining the authority of the Delhi government by making unauthorized changes to the initial report.

This meeting follows a heated exchange during the previous session on October 22, where BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay clashed with TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee, indicating rising tensions within the JPC.

The walkout underscores the growing dissatisfaction among opposition parties regarding transparency and governance in the deliberations surrounding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which aims to modify the management and utilization of Waqf properties across the country.