Jairam Ramesh slams BJD for voting in favour of Waqf Bill; party says it's still secular
The Bill was passed with a vote margin of 288-232 in the Lok Sabha and 128-95 in the Rajya Sabha.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Friday accused Biju Janata Dal (BJD) of succumbing to the BJP's pressure before voting in favour of the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The Naveen Patnaik-led party, on the other hand, contended it was still a secular political outfit despite voting for the legislation, which is being criticised by most Muslim bodies.
"The vote in the Lok Sabha on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was 288-232. In the Rajya Sabha, it was 128-95," Jairam Ramesh wrote on X on Friday.
"The victory margin for the BJP was small. In fact, in the Rajya Sabha, it was a setback for the ruling party, and there was shock on the Treasury Benches that the Opposition mustered up such support. The 95 number would have been more had not the BJD capitulated to BJP pressures at the last minute," the Congress MP added.
The Bill was passed with a vote margin of 288-232 in the Lok Sabha and 128-95 in the Rajya Sabha.
Confusion in BJD
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Sasmit Patra claimed on Friday that the party had decided the MPs were free to vote according to their conscience.
"The party has decided that the MPs were to vote as per their conscience and left it to the MPs to decide. I have not discussed this with the MPs so far. I have supported the bill. Others MP what they have done whether they have walked out or abstained or they have supported, that I can not say," Patra said.
BJD vice president Prasanna Acharya, however, claimed the party would always stand with the minorities.
"We are not very aware of the latest situation, and since it is a very important matter, we have decided to discuss it with our party President. We are a secular party, and we always stand with the minority of the country and the state. We are never interested in endangering the security and the interests of the minority of this country. Our party always opposed the Waqf amendment bill, but why our party's stand changed at the last moment, we will have to discuss it," Acharya added.
The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India.
A day before voting for the Waqf Bill was taken up in the Rajya Sabha, the party had stated that its members would vote against it. However, it voted for the bill, confusing some BJD leaders.
"There might be some game behind the change of stand. Naveen Babu had categorically told Muzibulla Khan that the BJD would oppose the Bill as decided by the parliamentary party. The change of stand is not acceptable," Badri Narayan Patra, a former minister and sitting MLA, said.
Also read: Waqf amendments an ‘assault’ on Constitution, says Congress
Senior BJD leader Shashi Bhushan Behera said, "We are also confused and are hearing a lot of things. The party is strong, and the president is capable of clearing all confusion and dealing with the situation."
With inputs from PTI, ANI
