On Friday, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the handling of the Waqf Amendment Bill, asserting that the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) process failed to uphold democratic principles.
Jairam Ramesh claimed that the committee overlooked a detailed clause-by-clause review and disregarded opposing viewpoints from opposition MPs, asserting that the Waqf Amendment Bill was forcefully pushed through the JPC.
The Congress leader stated, 'Typically, the budget session is quite organized. The first part includes the budget presentation, the President's address, and the motion of thanks, which are now complete. We are now entering the second phase, where we usually review and discuss grants for four to five ministries. In the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, we have selected ministries such as education, social justice empowerment, railways, and health for discussion in both houses.'
The Waqf Amendment Bill, introduced by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), is the most controversial topic in the latter half of the budget session. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that the JPC ignored all feedback from opposition members and selectively chose witnesses for testimonies. Ramesh also condemned the procedure, accusing the JPC of neglecting democratic principles, avoiding thorough discussions, and disregarding the dissenting views of opposition MPs.
"The JPC was conducted in a manner that did not do justice to the democratic processes. Usually when a bill is referred to a Standing Committee, the Select Committee or the JPC, there is a clause-by-clause discussion on the bill. The report is also presented clause-by-clause. That didn't happen. There was no clause-by clause discussion on the JPC," he added.
He further alleged that dissent notes and suggestions from opposition members were completely disregarded.
"I don't think in the last 70-75 years of the parliament, including its provision, I don't think any bill has been passed without going through a clause-by-clause analysis in the JPC. The dissent notes were ignored, and the comments and suggestions made by the opposition MPs were ignored. The Congress and all other parties that make the INDIA alliance will oppose this bill. There is no question of supporting this bill. The content of the bill is separate but how the bill was bulldozed through the JPC."
The Congress leader also slammed the BJP-led Centre for avoiding discussions on key foreign policy challenges, including Indo-US relations, China's border tensions, and the treatment of Indian citizens abroad.
He accused the ruling party of refusing to engage in a serious parliamentary debate on these pressing matters.
"There are important issues in Indo-US relations that we raised in the last session. The way Indian citizens were handcuffed, chained, and deported from America, and the threats President Trump is making against his so-called 'great friend'--if you see the reality, we are being threatened," Ramesh said.
He also highlighted concerns over China, stating that Parliament has not held a meaningful discussion on Indo-China relations or the ongoing border challenges and said, "We have been demanding an all-party meeting on China. There were one or two such meetings, including one in Bangladesh, but they were not led by the Prime Minister. Instead, they were handled by the Home Minister and the External Affairs Minister."
Ramesh further alleged that these ministers were acting under the influence of a "master puppeteer," suggesting centralised control over key decisions.