NEW DELHI: Refusing to be baited by "betrayal" charge and "surrender jibe", BJP's "secular" allies stood with govt to ensure majority support for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
Amid efforts by their regional rivals to turn the vote into a "litmus test" for their "secular" credentials, Telugu Desam Party , JDU and Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party voted along with govt.
Opposition parties had tried to wean them away by playing on the fact that they had enjoyed pockets of support among Muslims during the pre-NDA days and had not given up on their aspiration to hold on to that.
The pressure of the "communal" charge on them was evident during the Lok Sabha debate, with their speakers taking pains to emphasise that they had taken care of the interests of Muslim community in the Joint Parliamentary Committee. TDP's Krishna Prasad Tenneti said that it was because of his party that the JPC agreed that the proposed changes would come into effect prospectiely. "The YRSCP representative only attended only 18 of the 38 meetings of JPC," Tennety emphasised, while recalling steps taken by AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu-declaring Urdu the second language in the state, construction of a Haj House among others.
Speaking for JDU, Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh "Lalan" dismissed the "anti-Muslim" charge against PM Narendra Modi and said that the the bill would help the OBC Muslims, the Pasmandas.
"Pasmandas will stand with Modi in the coming days as they received justice under his govt," he said, adding that the opposition may not like the PM but people do.
The former JDU president also slammed the criticism of his party's principal figure and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and attempts to question his secularism for the regional party's support to the bill.
He said nobody has done as much for Muslims in Bihar as Kumar did in his nearly 20 years of tenure, be it boosting their education, ensuring justice in the Bhagalpur riot cases and delineating their graveyards. "The Janata Dal (United) and Nitish Kumar do not need your certificate of secularism. Your secularism is about dividing the society for votes," he said, targeting opposition parties.
Participating in the debate, LJP (Ram Vilas) MP Arun Bharti said the bill is aimed at transparency and accountability. He accused the opposition of highlighting only the religious aspect of the Waqf, an endowment made by Muslims for religiously charitable and pious purposes, ignoring its social, legal, financial and administrative sides.
Amid efforts by their regional rivals to turn the vote into a "litmus test" for their "secular" credentials, Telugu Desam Party , JDU and Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party voted along with govt.
Opposition parties had tried to wean them away by playing on the fact that they had enjoyed pockets of support among Muslims during the pre-NDA days and had not given up on their aspiration to hold on to that.
The pressure of the "communal" charge on them was evident during the Lok Sabha debate, with their speakers taking pains to emphasise that they had taken care of the interests of Muslim community in the Joint Parliamentary Committee. TDP's Krishna Prasad Tenneti said that it was because of his party that the JPC agreed that the proposed changes would come into effect prospectiely. "The YRSCP representative only attended only 18 of the 38 meetings of JPC," Tennety emphasised, while recalling steps taken by AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu-declaring Urdu the second language in the state, construction of a Haj House among others.
Speaking for JDU, Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh "Lalan" dismissed the "anti-Muslim" charge against PM Narendra Modi and said that the the bill would help the OBC Muslims, the Pasmandas.
"Pasmandas will stand with Modi in the coming days as they received justice under his govt," he said, adding that the opposition may not like the PM but people do.
The former JDU president also slammed the criticism of his party's principal figure and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and attempts to question his secularism for the regional party's support to the bill.
He said nobody has done as much for Muslims in Bihar as Kumar did in his nearly 20 years of tenure, be it boosting their education, ensuring justice in the Bhagalpur riot cases and delineating their graveyards. "The Janata Dal (United) and Nitish Kumar do not need your certificate of secularism. Your secularism is about dividing the society for votes," he said, targeting opposition parties.
Participating in the debate, LJP (Ram Vilas) MP Arun Bharti said the bill is aimed at transparency and accountability. He accused the opposition of highlighting only the religious aspect of the Waqf, an endowment made by Muslims for religiously charitable and pious purposes, ignoring its social, legal, financial and administrative sides.
You may also like
ED moves forward with property restitution in Rs 600 crore money laundering case
Arne Slot discusses Curtis Jones' Liverpool role after Gary Neville made 'ruthless' prediction
Milton Keynes shooting: Knifeman shot dead by police at train station is named
"A lot of people with disabilities are very able" says Labour MP on welfare cuts
Is Elon Musk's CIA photo fake, or is he playing fast and loose with the rules?
