Several MPs from the opposition camp staged a walkout on Tuesday during a meeting of the joint parliamentary committee on the Waqf Bill, alleging derogatory remarks against them by a BJP member.
TMC's Kalyan Banerjee, Gaurav Gogoi and Imran Masood from Congres, DMK's A Raja, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Arvind Sawant from Shiv Sena (UBT) and AAP's Sanjay Singh were some of the oppositions MPs who stormed out of the meeting. The parliamentary panel was hearing a presentation from representatives of the Ministry of Minority Affairs on the bill when the MPs walked out, reported PTI.
After staying away for nearly one hour, the opposition members rejoined the meeting.
Meanwhile, the BJP members claimed that the opposition members were abusing the chairman of the committee Jagdambika Pal.
It was the second consecutive day that opposition members walked out of the meeting following differences.
Following the walkout, Sawant told reporters that the committee was not operating in line with established parliamentary norms. He also claimed that personal allegations had been allowed during the session, particularly targeting senior leaders like Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
"We have boycotted because the committee is not functioning with the principles and norms of the committee. Ethically and principally they are wrong," he said.
The opposition MPs also criticised the committee for allowing such allegations to be raised by leaders of the ruling coalition deposed before the panel.
The controversy began with a presentation by former Chairman of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission Anwar Manippadi, whose testimony strayed beyond the scope of the Bill, and asserted the opposition, as per an India Today report.
The lawmakers alleged that remarks by Manippadi included unwarranted accusations against the Karnataka government and Kharge, leading to further discord.