BJP’s Jagdambika Pal to head Parl panel on Waqf Bill

New Delhi, August 13

Four-time Lok Sabha MP and senior BJP leader Jagdambika Pal was on Tuesday named the chairman of the joint Parliamentary committee (JPC) formed to look into the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill. According to a notification issued by the Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla appointed Pal as the head of the 31-member committee. Amid protests by the Opposition in the Lok Sabha on its provisions, the government had decided to refer the bill to a joint committee of the two Houses.

The joint panel has 31 members — 21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha — and will submit its report by the next session. 73-year-old Pal is an MP from Domariaganj in UP and enjoys good rapport across parties. Both Houses had on August 9 adopted a motion moved by Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju naming the members to be part of the committee. — TNS