Abhishek Banerjee sends legal notice to Nawsad Siddique over Waqf Bill remarks

Abhishek Banerjee, the All India General Secretary of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Member of Parliament from Diamond Harbour, has sent a legal notice to Nawsad Siddique, the Bhangar MLA and leader of the Indian Secular Front (ISF), over his comments regarding Banerjee's attendance during the Waqf Amendment Bill’s voting in Parliament on April 3. The legal notice, issued through Banerjee’s lawyer Sanjay Basu, states that Siddique's remarks about Banerjee’s absence in Parliament were "false and misleading."

Siddique had questioned the presence of TMC MPs, specifically targeting Abhishek Banerjee, and implied that Banerjee was not present during the voting on the bill. Siddique was quoted saying, "I watched the Parliament video for a long time, trying to see how many TMC MPs were present and how many were not." He further added, "Now, we will see what action the TMC takes on this. After this, we will respond to the public in a democratic way."

In response, Banerjee clarified that he was present for the entire session on April 3 and had raised his opposition to the bill, providing photographic evidence of his presence in Parliament, which was attached to the legal notice. The legal notice demands that Siddique retract his statement and offer a public apology within 48 hours. Failure to do so, the notice warns, will result in strict legal action. The development has added to the ongoing political tensions between the two leaders, with Banerjee making it clear that he strongly opposed the Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament. The situation now awaits Siddique's response to the legal notice.