BJD's change of stance on Waqf (Amendment) Bill sparks debate in Odisha

IANS April 4, 2025 274 views

The Biju Janata Dal's sudden change in stance on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill has created significant political ripples in Odisha. Party leaders showed divergent voting patterns, with some supporting and others opposing the bill in the Rajya Sabha. The Congress party immediately seized the opportunity to criticize BJD, claiming an underlying alliance with BJP. The incident has exposed internal contradictions within the BJD, raising questions about the party's unified political strategy and commitment to its declared principles.

"We deeply respect the diverse sentiments expressed by different sections of the minority communities" - Sasmit Patra, BJD Spokesperson
Bhubaneswar, April 4: The Biju Janata Dal's change of stance on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill at the last moment has sparked a heated political debate in Odisha, with the state's Congress unit alleging that 'the alliance between BJD and BJP is still intact'.

Key Points

1

BJD allows free voting on Waqf Bill without party whip

2

Sasmit Patra votes in favor while Munna Khan opposes

3

Congress alleges ongoing BJD-BJP alliance

4

Parliamentary party meeting reveals internal confusion

The BJD has seven members in Rajya Sabha while in Lok Sabha it has no presence.

The BJD had earlier announced to oppose the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

However, Rajya Sabha MP and the party's National Spokesperson, Sasmit Patra on Thursday, just a few hours before the voting on the Bill in the upper house of the parliament, declared that the BJD MPs are free to vote on the bill as per their conscience.

"We deeply respect the diverse sentiments expressed by different sections of the minority communities regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Our Party, having taken these views into careful consideration, has entrusted our 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," he posted on his X handle on Thursday.

Later, speaking to mediapersons, Patra also said that he had voted in favour of the Waqf Bill in Rajya Sabha.

Meanwhile, senior party leader and RS MP Munna Khan openly opposed the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

The opposition Congress on Friday criticised the BJD party over the sudden change in stance in connection with the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

"The BJD MPs had to vote on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill by listening to their inner conscience - their senior-most leader Sasmit Patra voted in favour of the government. The alliance between BJD and BJP is intact. They can't hoodwink the people of Odisha by pretending to be opposing each other. Congress is the only alternative in Odisha," alleged the Odisha Congress on its X handle.

Following the embarrassment, senior party leader Prasanna Acharya said that it has been decided to oppose the Bill during the parliamentary party meeting.

"As per my knowledge and the information shared by MPs, it was decided in the parliamentary party meeting to oppose the Bill... the BJD has always been a secular party. However, I came to know today that there was no party whip and some voted in its favour and some others voted against the Bill. We will soon meet our party President and all the details regarding the sudden development can only be ascertained after discussions with him," said Acharya.

Notably, the Parliament passed the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after it was approved by the Rajya Sabha early on Friday. The Lok Sabha approved the Bill early on Thursday, after nearly 12 hours of debate, with 288 votes in favour and 232 against.

Reader Comments

P
Priya M.
This flip-flop by BJD is disappointing. If they had concerns about the bill, they should have stuck to their original stance. Political parties need to be more consistent in their positions. 🤔
R
Rahul K.
Interesting to see internal differences within BJD on this issue. At least they're allowing MPs to vote according to conscience rather than enforcing strict party discipline.
S
Sunita P.
The Congress is just trying to score political points here. Every party has internal debates - that's democracy in action! 👏
A
Arjun S.
Respect to Munna Khan for standing his ground and opposing the bill despite the party's changed stance. We need more politicians with principles!
M
Meena R.
The Waqf amendment is actually quite important for minority rights in our state. Glad it passed, regardless of the political drama surrounding it.
K
Kunal D.
While I support the bill, the last-minute change by BJD does raise questions about their decision-making process. They owe the public a clearer explanation.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
Waqf Amendment Bill BJD Odisha Politics Sasmit Patra Munna Khan Congress Minority Rights
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