No party whip on Waqf Bill: BJD

Highlights

A day after announcing that the Biju Janata Dal would oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament, the party on Thursday said it has not issued any whip to its MPs about voting on the matter in Rajya Sabha.

Bhubaneswar: A day after announcing that the Biju Janata Dal would oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament, the party on Thursday said it has not issued any whip to its MPs about voting on the matter in Rajya Sabha. The MPs will vote according to their conscience, BJD national spokesperson Sasmit Patra said. The BJD has seven members in the Rajya Sabha, while no member in the Lok Sabha.

“The Biju Janata Dal has always upheld the principles of secularism and inclusivity, ensuring the rights of all communities. We deeply respect the diverse sentiments expressed by different sections of the minority communities regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024,” Patra said in a post on X.

“Our party, having taken these views into careful consideration, has entrusted our Hon’ble Members in the Rajya Sabha with the responsibility of exercising their conscience in the best interest of justice, harmony and the rights of all communities, should the Bill come up for voting. There is no party whip,” the post read.

Patra had on Wednesday said that the BJD was opposed to some of the provisions in the Waqf Bill, 2024, as its suggestion for changes in the original draft was not accepted.

The Lok Sabha early on Thursday passed the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, after over a 12-hour debate, which saw the ruling NDA defending the legislation as beneficial for minorities, while the Opposition described it as “anti-Muslim”.

The Bill was passed after all amendments moved by the Opposition members were rejected by voice votes. It was passed after a division of votes -- 288 in favour and 232 against.