Opposition stages walkout over JPC report on Waqf Bill, MP Gaurav Gogoi questions process

The Opposition staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha on February 13 following the tabling of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report on the Waqf Bill, citing lack of adequate time for review and discussion.

Expressing discontent, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticized the hasty proceedings, stating, "We were given just one night to read a 655-page report. There was hardly any opportunity to present our objections." He further pointed out procedural lapses, adding, "If you check the minutes of the meetings, you will see that there was no clause-by-clause discussion, which is a fundamental aspect of any JPC review. This crucial process was bypassed."

Raising concerns over the conduct of the JPC chairman, Gogoi questioned, "Under whose influence is the chairman acting?" He justified the Opposition’s walkout as a protest against the flawed deliberation process.