Opposition members abruptly walked out of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meeting discussing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday, claiming that the proceedings had become a mockery.

However, they returned after about an hour, amidst indications that the committee chairperson would seek an extension for the committee’s term.

According to reports, the committee’s tenure might be extended until the first week of the Budget Session, although the final decision will be made by the Lok Sabha.

The reports further suggested that Opposition leaders left the meeting midway citing that the chairman had announced to table the draft of Waqf (Amendment) report of JPC on November 29 which all Opposition parties have boycotted. They demanded an extension of the JPC.

Earlier, Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi, DMK’s A Raja, AAP’s Sanjay Singh, and TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee protested against the conduct of committee chairperson Jagdambika Pal, accusing him of wanting to conclude the proceedings by the November 29 deadline without adhering to the necessary processes.

Gogoi noted that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had suggested the possibility of an extension for the committee, but it seemed that a “big minister” was influencing Pal’s actions.

“It is a mockery.” Meanwhile, YSR Congress MP V. Vijaysai Reddy stated that all parties not aligned with the BJP were in favor of an extension, but Pal insisted on completing the work to ensure the report could be presented in the Lok Sabha by November 29,” the TMC MP said.

Sanjay Singh, one of the JPC members, said: “Until the report is finalised, all the stakeholders are heard and the JPC tour is completed. I think submitting a draft report before that is wrong. The speaker had assured us that he would extend the time of the JPC. Sidelining all these things you are saying that the draft report is ready to submit. You haven’t heard Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh government.”

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday wondered why Industrialist Gautam Adani was not in jail when hundreds of people were arrested in the country on tiny charges.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Gandhi said, “You think the Adanis are going to accept the charges? Which world are you living in? Obviously, he is going to deny the charges.”

The former Congress chief further alleged that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government is protecting the Billionaire. “The point is he has to be arrested. As we have said, hundreds of people are being arrested on tiny charges and the gentleman has been indicted in the US for thousands of crores. He should be in jail. The government is protecting him,” he said.

The statement from Gandhi comes hours after the Adani Group refuted the charges made against the billionaire and his nephew Sagar Adani with violations of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in the indictment filed by US authorities in a court in a bribery case.

Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said that it is no surprise that the Modani ecosystem has unleashed significant legal forces today. “Now that it faces serious repercussions from countries where it cannot exert influence or undermine the systems, the Modani ecosystem is resorting to damage control through denial.”

He emphasised that this ridiculous attempt cannot minimise the intensity of the accusations made by US agencies.

“The indictment from the U.S. Department of Justice clearly indicates that Gautam S. Adani, Sagar R. Adani, and others ‘devised a scheme to offer, authorize, make, and promise bribe payments to Indian government officials in exchange for these officials facilitating state electricity distribution companies in entering Power Sale Agreements (PSAs) with SECI’ (para 47),” Ramesh noted in a post on X.

He further pointed out that the indictment also claims they “offered and promised approximately Rs 2,029 crore (around USD 265 million) in bribes to Indian government officials in return for facilitating the execution of PSAs by state electricity distribution companies”.

Additionally, it alleges high-level corruption, suggesting that Sagar R Adani and Vneet S Jainn had “covertly influenced the SECI process regarding the reallocation of 2.3 GW Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to a subsidiary of the Indian Energy Company,” Ramesh added.

He highlighted that the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is a public sector enterprise under the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Ramesh argued that the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and SEBI should be proactively investigating these revelations.

“It is their duty to act in the nation’s interest, not to serve as instruments of a corrupt political-business alliance,” he asserted.

“This is a crucial moment for our institutions and those who hold positions within them. History will neither forgive nor forget this moment. For our part, we will persist in addressing these issues in Parliament and with the public,” Ramesh said.

India on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and expressed hope that it will lead to peace and stability in the wider region.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said: “We welcome the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that has been announced. We have always called for de-escalation, restraint and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. We hope these developments will lead to peace and stability in the wider region.”

Earlier today, in a significant development in West Asia, Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Lebanon. The ceasefire agreement came into effect early morning on November 27.

In his speech after the agreement, Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “The length of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon. We will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violation. We will continue united until victory.”

“We will complete the task of obliterating Hamas, we will bring home all of our hostages, we will ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel and we will return the residents of the north back home safely. The war will not end until we realize all its goals, including the return of the residents of the north safely home. And I tell you, it will happen, just like it happened in the south,” Netanyahu added.

According to reports, long-displaced residents of south Lebanon have begun to return to their homes amid celebrations hours after the ceasefire.

Following the directive of the political echelon, the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon took effect at 04:00 today, and the IDF has been operating accordingly, said the Israel Defense Force (IDF) in a post on X.

It said that the IDF troops have been stationed at their positions in southern Lebanon. Over the past hour, the IDF identified a vehicle with several suspects in a zone prohibited for movement in Lebanese territory, the Israeli Army said, adding the troops fired to prevent them from advancing, and the suspects left the area.

The IAF remains ready to act across Lebanese territory and the IDF Aerial Defense Array is also in a high state of defensive readiness, it warned.

According to Israeli Army, there are currently no changes to the Home Front Command guidelines. “The IDF will operate against anyone who attempts to breach the ceasefire agreement and will continue to protect the citizens of Israel,” it emphasised.

Israel and Hamas have been at war since October 2023, following an incursion by Hamas militants across the border during a concert, which resulted in the taking of hostages. The war in West Asia has unfortunately led to large-scale destruction and a tragic loss of life in the region, impacting tens of thousands of individuals.