BJP MP Tejasvi Surya Accuses Opposition of Threatening Witness During Waqf Amendment Bill Meeting

Bangalore: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tejasvi Surya has alleged that opposition members threatened Jagdambika Pal, chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Amendment Bill, during a recent panel meeting. In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Surya accused the opposition MPs of displaying “unparliamentary behaviour” on October 14 while the committee heard testimony from Anwar Manipaddy, former chairperson of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission, regarding a purported Waqf land "scam" in Karnataka.

On Tuesday, 12 opposition MPs sent a letter to Birla, claiming a “gross violation of parliamentary code of conduct” occurred during the JPC meeting. They accused Pal of conducting the proceedings in a “biased and partisan manner.”

In his letter, Surya stated, "During his deposition, Shri Manippadi discussed a report he submitted in 2012 during his tenure, alleging large-scale encroachment or sale of approximately 2,000 acres of Waqf land, valued at around ₹2 lakh crore, to private entities, implicating certain leaders of the Indian National Congress."

Surya claimed that opposition MPs disrupted the proceedings, verbally threatened both the JPC chairperson and the witness, and tore up committee documents. He described the incident, stating, "They also walked near to where the witness and chairperson were seated, tried to physically threaten both, snatched the notes and papers they had made, and tore them." He added that their behaviour demonstrated a complete disregard for parliamentary decorum.

Surya urged the Speaker to direct the opposition members to comply with the Rules of Conduct and Parliamentary Etiquette and called for disciplinary action against those responsible for this unruly conduct.

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