Things should not be done from communal angle: BK Hariprasad on Waqf bill

Congress leader BK Hariprasad on Thursday, speaking to ANI, stated that "things should not be done from a communal angle" in reference to the JPC's proposed Waqf Amendment Bill tenure extension.

"The Committee should hold talks with everyone on this and then take a decision. Things should not be done from a communal angle," he said.

The bill to amend the Waqf Act is unlikely to be taken up in the winter session of Parliament, with the joint committee set up to examine it set to seek an extension to present its report.

Joint Parliamentary Committee chairman Jagdambika Pal said on Wednesday that he will move a resolution for extending the term of the panel, which is examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Opposition members have been seeking an extension of the term of the joint committee to listen to more stakeholders.

Meanwhile, on the oath-taking ceremony of Chief Minister Hemant Soren's newly-appointed government in Jharkhand, Hariprasad affirmed progress of the state under Soren's leadership.

"Hemant Soren will take oath (as CM) today. This is the victory of Hemant Soren and the INDIA alliance. In the coming days, Jharkhand will further progress," he said.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha executive president Hemant Soren to take the oath as Chief Minister of Jharkhand on November 28.

Soren tendered his resignation as Jharkhand Chief Minister to the Governor Santosh Gangwar and staked a claim to form government at the Raj Bhawan.

Hemant Soren-led JMM steered the INDIA bloc to victory with 56 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly. The JMM won 34 seats, while its allies secured 22 seats. Among the allies, the Congress won 16 seats, the RJD won four, and the CPI-ML won two seats.

The BJP-led NDA won only 24 seats in Jharkhand. The BJP secured 21 seats, while its allies--the AJSU party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and JD-U--won one seat each.