A joint parliamentary committee meeting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill saw opposition members walk out in protest, accusing the committee of allowing individuals with “no stake” in the bill to provide testimony. Among those who staged the brief walkout were AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi, Congress MP Mohammad Jawed, and Samajwadi Party’s Mohibbullah Nadvi. They later rejoined the meeting, resuming discussions after a short absence.

The walkout was prompted by the Delhi Waqf Board administrator submitting a report to committee chair Jagdambika Pal without the approval of the Delhi government, a move that was criticized in a letter from Delhi Chief Minister Atishi. She asserted that the report should be considered “null and void,” highlighting the tensions surrounding the committee’s recent proceedings.

The gathering was the first since a high-profile incident last week, where TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee was suspended from the committee after allegedly smashing a glass bottle during a heated exchange with BJP member and former judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay. Following this, BJP MPs called for Banerjee’s suspension, claiming he attempted to throw the bottle towards the chair. Banerjee was not present at Monday’s meeting.

During the session, the committee heard evidence from Waqf Boards in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttarakhand, with additional testimonies from legal professionals, tenant associations, and the NGO ‘Call for Justice’ scheduled for later in the day.

This is not the first walkout over the bill, as October 14 also saw opposition MPs exit in response to remarks made about Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge by a BJP-affiliated former Karnataka State Minorities Commission member. The ongoing disagreements underline the contentious nature of the Waqf Amendment Bill deliberations, as members remain sharply divided on the proceedings and stakeholders involved.