New Delhi:
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday criticised the Congress and its senior leader, Sonia Gandhi – although he said “I don’t want to comment on her” – after she accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government of “bulldozing” the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill through Parliament.
In a press conference this afternoon – hours after the Upper House voted 128-95 in favour of the new Waqf laws, after the Lower House’s green light – Mr Rijiju pointed out the BJP had “followed all processes” in the marathon back-to-back debates in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
“We followed all processes and the House functioned till 4am… and then you say the bill was ‘bulldozed’ on us? We saw history being made… but rather than appreciating that, you are saying we are ‘bulldozing’ the bill through. This is not right,” Mr Rijiju declared.
“Sonia Gandhi is a senior leader… I don’t want to comment. But yesterday, during the Congress’ parliamentary party, a statement was released that the bill was passed forcefully and (by) bulldozing procedures. But we have a record… there never been this much discussion in parliamentary history.”
He also pointed out the record 17-hour debate on the bill in the Upper House (after over 12 hours in the Lok Sabha) did not feature a single disruption; as promised, the opposition did not cause disorder.
The Union Minister’s comments come amid controversy brewing over remarks by Mrs Gandhi, who claimed the bill had been “bulldozed” through the Rajya Sabha, of which she is a member.
Mrs Gandhi also called it a “brazen assault” on the Constitution and, echoing the words of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, accused the BJP of trying to keep the society in a state of “permanent polarisation”. The Congress has since said it will mount a legal challenge to the bill.
READ | BJP Demands Sonia Gandhi’s Apology For Waqf Bill Remarks
Furious, the BJP demanded an apology from the veteran Congress leader. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey declared she had, in intent, accused the BJP of “taking the country down the drain”.
He also said it was her statements that, in fact, were an attack on the Constitution.
Meanwhile, Lok Sabha proceedings this morning were adjourned after BJP MPs shouted ‘Sonia Gandhi maafi maango, while the opposition tried switching the narrative to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Late Thursday the Lok Sabha passed the bill by 288 votes to 232 after a 12-hour debate.
Alterations suggested by the opposition were shot down – as they had when the BJP-led joint parliamentary committee scrutinised the proposed changes last year.
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The 12-hour debate in the Lok Sabha was followed by another lengthy (and heated) discussion in the Rajya Sabha, during which opposition parties and leaders called the new bill “anti-Muslim”.
MPs from the treasury benches hailed it as “historic”.
With input from agencies
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