New Delhi: After protests by opposition members over the presentation of the Delhi Waqf Board official, the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Waqf Amendment Bill on Tuesday agreed to hear the views of the Delhi government.
The assurance by committee chairman Jagdambika Pal came after hour-long protests by opposition members Sanjay Singh, Mohamed Abdulla and Asaduddin Owaisi over the presentation by Delhi Waqf Board administrator Ashwini Kumar, which Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said was not approved by her.
The issue had stalled the proceedings of the committee on Monday and Kumar was asked to present the views of the Board after an opinion on the issue was sought from Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh.
The opposition also questioned the appointment of a non-Muslim person as the administrator of the Delhi Waqf Board, contending that the law did not permit it. A BJP member countered by saying that non-Muslims have been appointed to the posts earlier as well.
The three members then trooped to the centre of the hall and raised slogans for nearly an hour before the chairman relented and agreed to hear the Delhi government version on the issue through its representative.
Trinamool member Kalyan Banerjee, who was suspended from the committee for one day for unruly behaviour last week, was present at the meeting on Tuesday for a brief period.
The committee's meetings have often seen tempers fly with opposition members accusing the chair of inviting different organisations, including those working for Hindu causes, that have no stake in the Waqf issues and the BJP members charging their political rivals with deliberately disturbing the proceedings.
