“By suspending some members of Committee…”: Samajwadi Party MP criticizes JPC report on Waqf Amendment Bill

New Delhi [India], February 3 (ANI): In a sharp critique of the JPC’s report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, Samajwadi Party MP Virendra Singh on Monday accused the BJP of passing the legislation through undemocratic means by suspending certain members of the Parliamentary Committee.

Speaking to ANI, Singh predicted that the government will likely introduce an amended version of the bill in Parliament soon.

“By suspending some members of the Parliamentary Committee, BJP has passed this bill in its own way. I predict that the government will bring this Waqf Board Bill to the Parliament after amending it again,” he said.

The JPC report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 will not be tabled in the House on Monday, according to the list of businesses. The report was presented to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on January 30, 2025.

The JPC on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill adopted the draft report and the amended revised bill on Wednesday, January 29. However, the opposition leaders submitted their dissent notes on the report. The JPC had earlier cleared the Waqf Bill 1995 with 25 amendments across 14 clauses and sections.

Further, the Samajwadi Party MP slammed the Centre on the Union Budget and said that they have nothing to do with the future of the country.

“This shows the weakness of our Finance Minister. Was she sleeping while presenting the last 10 budgets? Why did she not think of the middle class then? This budget is just for the elections… They (the central government) have nothing to do with the future and progress of the country. Their direct target is to win the elections,” Virendra Singh said.

During her Union Budget 2025 speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that no income tax would be payable on income up to Rs 12 lakh, providing significant relief to taxpayers, especially the middle class. In her budget speech, she said that Budget 2025 continues the government’s efforts to accelerate growth, inclusive development, private sector investments, uplift household sentiments, and enhance the spending power of India’s rising middle class.

The budget session of Parliament, which began on January 31, is scheduled to conclude on April 4. The budget speech outlined the government’s fiscal policies, revenue and expenditure proposals, taxation reforms, and other significant announcements.