A 12-member delegation of Muslim Members of Parliament cutting across party lines, except one from the BJP, on December 23 called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with a charter of demands which included early finalisation of the Waqf Bill, immediate implementation of the Ranganath Mishra Commission recommendations and early action on Haj reforms. The Prime Minister assured that his government was committed to do its best to address the issues and concerns of Muslims. He assured the members that he would take up the issue of setting up a separate Parliamentary Standing Committee on Minority Affairs with the Presiding Officers of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in consultation with the Parliamentary Affairs Minister. While the Waqf Bill would be brought before Parliament in the ensuing Budget Session, the External Affairs Ministry would be requested to bring a comprehensive Cabinet note on Haj reforms within a month, Singh told the MPs.
On the issue of increase in flow of credit to minorities, particularly Muslims and the proposal for introducing Islamic banking in the country, the prime minister indicated that he would hold discussions with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. On concerns over the Foreign Currency Regulation Act, Singh said two Groups of Ministers have been set up for the proposed amendments to the Act and for the Equal Opportunity Commission. The members had highlighted the problems faced by the minority institutions which face difficulties in getting the required sanctions and recognitions. The regulatory mechanism for educational institutions should be simplified and the government should see that the recognition procedures to the institutions, particularly to the Muslim educational institutions are simplified, they said. They also demanded release of a large number of terror suspect detainees who have been jailed for a very long time without proper trial.
The delegation was led by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan, and its members comprised E Ahamed, Mohsina Kidwai, Asaduddin Owaisi, Tariq Anwar, Maulana Mahmood Madani, Ejaz Ali, Ahmad Mazihabadi, Mohammad Shafi, Sabir Ali, Mohammad Adeed and Shafiqur Rahman Barq.