Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey has called for an investigation into the source of nearly 1.2 crore feedback submissions that the joint parliamentary committee scrutinising the 2024 Waqf Amendment Bill received, PTI reported on Wednesday.

Dubey, the Lok Sabha member from Jharkhand’s Godda, said that the investigation must cover the possible roles of fundamentalist organisations, individuals such as preacher and televangelist Zakir Naik and foreign entities such as Pakistan’s intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence and China, PTI reported.

The BJP leader said this in a letter written to the parliamentary committee’s chairperson Jagdambika Pal. Dubey is a member of the panel.

Dubey said that the origins of the submissions needed immediate attention, claiming that it was statistically improbable that such an overwhelming response could come organically from within the country alone, PTI reported.

“It is not uncommon for special interest groups, both foreign and domestic, to use this tactic to saturate the legislative process with pre-drafted suggestions or demands, giving the illusion of mass public support,” he was quoted as having told Pal. “This orchestrated effort undermines the very purpose of soliciting genuine public feedback.”

The BJP leader said that there are reasons to suspect that “these elements are leveraging the Waqf Bill deliberations to sow discord and polarise public opinion”, adding that it was part of a “broader strategy by fundamentalist groups to manipulate sensitive issues in our country”.

Dubey urged Pal to allow the Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate the matter. “I believe it is vital that the committee addresses these concerns head-on to ensure the integrity and independence of our legislative process,” Dubey said.

On August 8, the Waqf Amendment Bill was sent to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny following objections from Opposition parties after the draft legislation was introduced in the Lok Sabha.

The panel had sought written suggestions from the public, experts, non-governmental organisations and institutions, among others, on the draft legislation. It received more than 1.2 crore email responses from across the country, both for and against the bill, according to reports.

The bill proposed to amend 44 sections of the 1995 Waqf Act.

Features of the proposed amendment include ensuring the verification of land before a board announces it as a Waqf property, and requirements for the funds received by the boards to be used for the welfare of widows, divorcees and orphans as suggested by the government.

A waqf is a property given for a religious, educational or charitable cause by Muslims. In India, waqfs are governed under the Waqf Act. Each state has a Waqf Board led by a legal entity who is vested with the power to acquire, hold and transfer a property. The Act was last amended in 2013.

After the bill was introduced in the Lower House, several Opposition MPs objected to the bill, calling it “anti-Muslim” and “unconstitutional”.

On Wednesday, Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, the spokesperson of the Janata Dal (United), said that all stakeholders, including political parties and institutions, are providing their opinion of the bill.

“Dubey has also shared his views,” Prasad told news agency IANS on Wednesday. “Now, based on all these opinions, whatever decision the JPC makes, everyone will be waiting for that decision, and our party also wants a logical solution to this matter.”

The Janata Dal (United) is part of the National Democratic Alliance government.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that he cannot comment on the functioning of the joint parliamentary committee. “The JPC has been empowered,” NDTV quoted Rijiju as saying. “The JPC will look into how many mails were received and in what situation.”

The government will wait for the committee’s report, Rijiju added.

Also read: Why Muslim leaders are objecting to new waqf bill