Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: During Parliamentary proceedings on regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 on April 2, Speaker Om Birla passed a ruling referencing the authoritative text (Practice and Procedure of Parliament) by M.N. Kaul and S.L. Shakdhar. He affirmed that the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) holds extensive powers, enabling it not only to amend but also to reformulate the Bill. The committee may even alter the title or provide a concise name for the Bill, provided its essence remains unchanged. The Speaker noted that similar amendments had been made by other committees in the past.
Earlier, Revolutionary Socialist Party’s N.K. Premchandan raised a point of order, stating, “As reported by the Joint Parliamentary Committee, we are not deliberating upon the original Bill. My submission pertains to whether the Joint Parliamentary Committee possesses the authority to incorporate new provisions into the Bill.”
He further asserted that even the Lok Sabha lacks the right to introduce new provisions unless Rule 81 is suspended by the Chair. Premchandan emphasised that while the Joint Parliamentary Committee may recommend amendments, it cannot directly incorporate new provisions.
Responding to this, Union Home Minister Amit Shah clarified that the Bill had been tabled in the House upon the Opposition’s demand for its referral to the Joint Parliamentary Committee. The committee presented its opinions, which were subsequently reviewed and accepted by the Cabinet.
Shah stated that Minister Kiren Rijiju (Union Parliamentary Affairs minister) would now table the Bill in the House. He dismissed the point of order, arguing that if the Joint Parliamentary Committee, formed at the Opposition’s request, lacked the authority to provide opinions, its existence would be rendered meaningless.
Shah remarked, “Our committees are not akin to those established during the Congress regime, which merely served to rubber-stamp decisions. If changes are not to be accepted, what purpose does a committee serve?”
The Bill, introduced in Parliament last year amidst Opposition uproar, was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee chaired by BJP MP Jagadambika Pal for scrutiny.
On February 13, the committee submitted its report, which received Cabinet approval on February 19. However, Opposition MPs expressed dissatisfaction, alleging that their proposed amendments had been rejected and their dissent notes redacted from the report without prior notification.
