JPC chairman Jagdambika Pal to visit K’taka on Nov 7 to meet farmers protesting Waqf notices

PTI, Nov 5, 2024, 2:23 PM IST

New Delhi: The chairman of the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Jagdambika Pal, will visit Karnataka on Thursday to meet farmers protesting against notices, now withdrawn, served to some of them for allegedly encroaching on Waqf properties.

He is also likely to meet others, including a host of Karnataka BJP leaders, who have launched a stir over the issue.

In a post on X on Tuesday, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, who is also a member of the committee, said, “Chairman of JPC on Waqf has kindly consented to my request to visit Hubli and Bijapur on November 7 to interact with farmers affected by the Waqf’s predatory action.”

Pal, a BJP MP, will interact with farmer organisations and mutts and petitions given to him will be placed before the JPC, according to Surya.

Facing criticism, the Congress-led Karnataka government ordered the withdrawal of the notices, blaming them on a gazette error.

The BJP has claimed that it is part of the Congress’ vote bank politics.

Opposition members of the committee have been vocal in their criticism of Pal’s functioning, alleging that he has been taking unilateral decisions and bulldozing proceedings.

The committee will be visiting five state capitals — Guwahati, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Patna and Lucknow — from November 9 to 14 to hear the views of different stakeholders.