Sena (UBT) MPs were reluctant to vote against Waqf Bill, relented after Uddhav's calls: Nirupam

Mumbai, Apr 4 (PTI) Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam on Friday claimed MPs of the rival Shiv Sena (UBT) were reluctant to vote against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, but gave in after getting calls from their party chief Uddhav Thackeray, and opposed the legislation.

He hit out at Thackeray, a prominent leader of the anti-BJP bloc, and dubbed him as "Muslim Hridaysamrat" ("king of Muslim hearts").

Addressing a news conference here, Nirupam said the Sena (UBT)'s stand on the contentious bill reflects the intellectual bankruptcy of the former Maharashtra CM, an ex-ally of the BJP.

"Uddhav Thackeray called his MPs in the Lok Sabha five times, instructing them to vote against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. They (Sena-UBT members) had to vote against the bill because of the whip issued by the party," Nirupam claimed.

Barring two Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs - Arvind Sawant (Mumbai South) and Anil Desai (Mumbai South Central) -- the calls were made to all other Lok Sabha members of the party, he maintained.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has nine MPs in the Lower House of Parliament.

Nirupam, a former MP who was in the undivided Shiv Sena and also had a stint in the Congress, averred that there was enormous pressure from Muslim organisations on Thackeray to oppose the bill.

"Balasaheb Thackeray is known as 'Hindu Hridaysamrat' (king of Hindu hearts), but Uddhav Thackeray is now known as 'Muslim Hridaysamrat'," he contended.

The contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday and by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of Friday after marathon debates in both Houses of Parliament.

The bill aims to streamline the management of Waqf properties (assets permanently donated by Muslims for religious or charitable purposes) with provisions to safeguard heritage sites and promote social welfare. It also seeks to improve governance by enhancing transparency in property management, streamlining coordination between Waqf Boards and local authorities and protecting stakeholders’ rights.

At a press conference on Thursday, Thackeray said his party opposed the BJP's "fraudulent" stand on the bill and its ploy to take away Waqf lands and give them to their industrialist friends. PTI PR RSY

Source: PTI