New Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) The Congress on Wednesday slammed BJP MP Nishikant Dubey for raising concerns over the staggering number of submissions received by the parliamentary committee scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, saying it clearly shows the ruling party does not believe in democracy.
Dubey has expressed apprehensions about the nearly 1.25 crore submissions received by the parliamentary committee scrutinising the Bill and called for a home ministry probe into their sources, including the possible role of the ISI and China.
The investigation must cover the possible roles of fundamentalist organisations, individuals like radical Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and foreign powers such as the ISI and China besides their proxies, he said in a letter written to the committee’s chairperson Jagdambika Pal.
Dubey, a committee member and a four-term Lok Sabha MP, said the geographical origin of these submissions needs immediate attention, claiming that it is statistically improbable that such an overwhelming response could emerge organically from within India alone.
Asked about the issue at a press conference at AICC headquarters, Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said, “They (the BJP) are making fun of democracy. They do not believe in democracy.” “If in such a big country, only 1.5 per cent of the people express their opinion and they (the BJP) are pained by it then it is clear that they don’t believe in democracy,” he said.
Gohil said the “BJP’s minions” were sending drafts on WhatsApp groups and asking people to click on links to send feedback to the committee.
“Probably the impact of that may have been felt by Nishikant ji. So Nishikant ji’s voice should be heard by his party.
“He should have been made a minister but was not made… he must have seen the BJP people getting such fake campaigns run so he would have flagged it,” Gohil said.
The Congress Rajya Sabha MP said the BJP leaders want to keep issues alive to hide the shortcomings of the party’s rule.
“People are worried over unemployment. There is rampant corruption taking place, so they divert attention to Hindu-Muslim issues from the real issues. Though people are innocent, they can see through the game of the BJP,” he said.
In his letter, Dubey described the enormity of the feedback as “unprecedented” which, he added, has set a global record for legislative submissions and deserves scrutiny over the motivations and sources behind these communications.
The BJP Lok Sabha MP from Godda in Jharkhand said it signals a disturbing trend that cannot be ignored.
“I believe it is vital that the committee addresses these concerns head-on to ensure the integrity and independence of our legislative process,” Dubey added.
The committee examining the contentious bill, which has been opposed stridently by the opposition parties and several Muslim groups for its alleged attempt to interfere in their religious affairs, had come out with advertisement, seeking people’s feedback on its provisions.
As his letter sparked a debate, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the consultation process undertaken by the committee is the most extensive in the history of the country’s parliamentary democracy.
He, however, declined to comment on Dubey’s suspicions.
“I can’t comment on the functioning of the joint parliamentary committee. It has been empowered… how mails have come in and in what circumstances, that is for the JPC to look into,” Rijiju said. PTI ASK ASK KSS KSS
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