DMK's Raja writes to waqf panel chief to defer JPC meetings proposed on Jan 24, 25

DMK MP A Raja on Wednesday wrote to waqf panel chief Jagdambika Pal on behalf of the opposition to postpone the proposed sittings of the joint parliamentary committee proposed on January 24 and 25. In a letter to the waqf parliamentary panel chief, Raja said it is practically not possible for the members to recollect the evidence and materials essentially needed for the moving of the amendments and discussion on the waqf bill on such a short notice.

He said during the tour programme to meet various stakeholders in Lucknow on Tuesday, the members had requested Pal to postpone the meeting of JPC proposed on January 24 and 25 for taking up the bill clause by clause.

The panel is examining the waqf bill after it was introduced in Lok Sabha during the monsoon session of Parliament in August last year.


"Hence, it was requested by most of the members at the Lucknow sitting (21.01.2025) that the proposed sittings of JPC on 24th and 25th have to be necessarily postponed on 30th (full day) and 31st of this month after the presidential address in the Parliament," Raja said in his letter to Pal.

He said unless the sittings of the JPC are postponed, the purpose of constituting the JPC itself will be defeated as it raises doubts in the minds of the people of India that the secular fabric of the Constitution embodied in the Preamble itself are endangered and due process in conducting the JPC is also not followed.

"It is, therefore, prayed on behalf of the members of the opposition parties that the sittings of the JPC proposed on 24th and 25th may kindly be postponed to 30th and 31st of this month as already discussed with you at Lucknow," Raja said.