Kalyan Banerjee Announces West Bengal To Resolve Against Waqf Bill, JPC Chairman Lashes Out

Waqf (Amendment) Bill discussions are taking a messy turn and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kalyan Banerjee declared that West Bengal will resolve against the implementation of the Bill to Waqf Bill’s JPC chairman and Bharatiya Party leader Jagadambika Pal lashed out.

Pal said that Banerjee should have kept his views before JPC and not give any statement outside.

“Kalyan Banerjee is a member of JPC (on Waqf Amendment Bill) and he should keep his views before the JPC and not give statements outside. If the government there in West Bengal is bringing a resolution against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, then it is an attack on the parliamentary democracy and the principles of the Constitution…” Pal said.

Earlier on November 27, after the opposition MPS walked out of the JPC meeting, Pal stated that the members who wish to be heard should not have boycotted the meeting.

Pal highlighted that he had addressed all members’ opinions and concerns.”In the last three months, we held 29 meetings, and more than 147 delegations participated. We have given opportunities to all organisations as per the JPC’s mandate. If the Opposition MPs feel more people need to be heard, boycotting the meeting is not the right approach. I have listened to all members, including Sanjay Singh, Kalyan Banerjee, and Asaduddin Owaisi,” he said.

Earlier, Opposition MPs walked out of the JPC meeting, raising concerns that several state boards remained unheard and criticising the decision to table the draft report in the Lok Sabha on November 29. They have demanded an extension of the committee’s timeline.

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The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeks to introduce sweeping reforms, including digitisation, stricter audits, greater transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.