'External Forces Trying To...': BJP's Nishikant Dubey Flags Suspicion Over Waqf Bill Feedback, Seeks MHA Probe

Raising concern over the submission of nearly 1.25 crore feedback to the Joint Parliamentary Committee scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the BJP on Wednesday called for a Ministry of Home Affairs-led probe into the sources of the submissions, citing possible intervention of external forces.

The probe must cover the possibility of roles of fundamentalist organisations, individuals like Zakir Naik, and foreign powers like the ISI and China, as well as their proxies, wrote BJP MP Nishikant Dubey in the letter directed to JPC chairperson Jagdambika Pal.

He added that the probe is critical to preserving the fairness, integrity, and independence of the Waqf Bill deliberations.

Dubey, a senior member of the committee on Waqf, raised concern over the geographical origin of the feedback submissions and said that it is statistically improbable that such an overwhelming response could emerge organically from within India alone.

Terming the enormity of feedback as ‘unprecedented,’ Dubey said, “This volume not only sets a global record for legislative submissions but also invites scrutiny over the motivations and sources behind these communications.”

He signalled the involvement of foreign entities, organisations, or individuals that may have deliberately orchestrated such a flood of responses to manipulate the democratic process. “We cannot allow external actors to flood our legislative committees with potentially agenda-driven input without carefully scrutinizing the origins of such submissions,” he said.

JPC Scrutinising Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024

The Centre constituted a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to explore the possible changes in the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The formation of the committee which comprises 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha was announced by by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on August 9, 2024.

Considering the wider implications of the proposed Bill, the Parliamentary Committee-led by Jagdambika Pal decided to invite views and suggestions from the general public as well as NGOs, experts, stakeholders and institutions.

Reacting to the massive feedback submission on Waqf, Rijiju had said, “No one ever thought a JPC would receive recommendations in crores. Even if 1,000 recommendations or representations were made, we used to consider it a big number.”