Bhubaneswar, April 4: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has been rocked by internal turmoil following a sudden shift in its position on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, just hours before voting in the Rajya Sabha. The unexpected change has left several senior leaders questioning the decision, leading to a meeting with party chief Naveen Patnaik on Friday.
Initially, the BJD had declared its opposition to the Waqf Bill and had instructed its seven Rajya Sabha MPs to vote against it. However, on Thursday evening, the MPs were informed that no official whip would be issued, and they were advised to vote "as per their conscience." In the end, three BJD MPs voted in favor of the Bill, while another, Debashish Samantaray, abstained, expressing his displeasure over the sudden change in stance.
The Rajya Sabha ultimately passed the Bill by a 128-95 vote. The BJD did not have any MPs in the Lok Sabha, where the vote took place a day earlier.
BJD vice-president Prasanna Acharya expressed confusion on Friday, stating that he was "not aware of the circumstances" under which the party's opposition to the Bill was reversed at the last moment.
Senior leader Badri Narayan Patra also voiced concerns, suggesting that there was a "khela" (game) at play by "someone" to put the party in an uncomfortable position. Patra highlighted that party president Naveen Patnaik had initially instructed MPs to oppose the Bill, and MP Muzibulla (Muna) Khan had spoken against it during the debate. However, Patra questioned the sudden reversal of this decision, calling it a matter of concern.
This shift in position has further fueled apprehensions within the party, especially after its poor performance in the 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
As the debate on the Waqf Bill unfolded in the Rajya Sabha, the BJD initially appeared resolute in its opposition. MP Muzibulla Khan, speaking on behalf of the party, raised concerns about a provision in the Bill that required individuals to prove they had been practicing Islam for five years to declare and dedicate Waqf property. However, later in the day, Rajya Sabha floor leader Sasmit Patra informed the MPs that they were free to "exercise their conscience" during the vote.
Naveen Patnaik had publicly expressed his opposition to the Waqf Bill as early as September last year, citing a "sense of insecurity" among minorities. The BJD had also staged protests against the proposed amendments.
BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra, who ultimately supported the Bill, explained on Friday that the party had allowed MPs to decide their votes based on their conscience. He confirmed that no whip had been issued to party members.
Meanwhile, Sulata Deo, another BJD MP, suggested that the party’s MPs had been divided on the issue, with some supporting the Bill and others opposing it. Muzibulla Khan, representing the Muslim community, voted against the Bill, while Debashish Samantaray abstained, voicing his protest over the party's shift in position.
