Lok Sabha to take up Waqf Bill on Wednesday; BJP, Shiv Sena issue whip to MPs

The Lok Sabha is set to debate and pass the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill on Wednesday with the Rajya Sabha expected to take it up on Thursday reported PTI The bill has sparked a clash between the government which is determined to push it through and a united Opposition calling it unconstitutionalKey NDA alliesmdashTDP JDU Shiv Sena and LJP Ram Vilasmdashhave issued whips directing their MPs to support the bill However some BJP allies continue to push for additional amendments though they remain committed to the NDArsquos stanceOn Tuesday Shiv Senas Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha has asked all the lawmakers of the party to attend the legislative meeting which will be held in the first week of AprilAll Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MPs are informed that some highly important matters and legislative work will be discussed and passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday Thursday and Friday Accordingly they have been asked to remain compulsorily present in the House on all the three days for the entire duration and support the governmentAccording to PTI the opposition INDIA bloc also strategised its resistance during a meeting in Parliament expressing concerns over being sidelined reported PTICongressrsquos deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi accused the government of stifling Opposition voices and demanded more time for debate along with discussions on other pressing issues such as Manipur and voter ID concernsMinorities and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that the business advisory committee BAC chaired by Speaker Om Birla had allocated eight hours for discussion with the possibility of an extension based on the Housersquos consensusDuring the BAC meeting Opposition leaders staged a walkout protesting the governments handling of the proceedings PTI reportedDespite the Oppositionrsquos protests the ruling BJPled NDA holds a numerical advantage in the Lok Sabha making the billrsquos passage likelyIn the Rajya Sabha BAC has scheduled the debate for Thursday by which time the Lower House is expected to have made its decision While the number game is more even in the Rajya Sabha it is still in favour of the BJPled NDA The Upper House is expected to take up the bill for passage after it gets the nod of the Lok SabhaAIMIM member Asaduddin Owaisi a sharp critic of the bill told reporters that he will put forth his view during the debate to show how unconstitutional it is This bill is aimed at curbing the religious freedom of Muslims he alleged adding that people will teach BJPs allies like TDP and JDU a lessonThe NDA has 293 MPs in the Lower House with a current strength of 542 and the BJP has often been successful in pulling the support of independent members and partiesSome major BJP allies like the Telugu Desam Party TDP Janata Dal United and Chirag Paswanled LJP Ramvilas had expressed reservations over some aspects of the bill but have since become more agreeable after the parliamentary committee adopted a few of their suggestions official sources have saidThe Congress has also issued whip to its MPs asking them to ensure their presence in the House and support their partys official standAfter the Catholic Bishops Conference of India the Church of Bharat on Tuesday extended its support to the bill boosting the governments efforts to dispel the bid to portray the proposed law as its alleged larger antiminority agendaWhile introducing the bill last year the government referred it to a joint committee of the two HousesAfter the report was submitted by the panel the Union Cabinet approved certain changes to the original bill based on the committees recommendationRijiju said that immediately after Question Hour which concludes at 12 noon he will move the bill for consideration and passageHitting out at the Opposition he claimed that some parties are trying to create excuses to run away from the discussionGogoi said the opposition stormed out of the BAC meeting as the government was bulldozing through its agendaThe INDIA bloc parties discussed their strategy at the meeting attended by several senior leaders including Congress Rahul Gandhi Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal Samajwadi Partys Ram Gopal Yadav NCPs Supriya Sule TMCs Kalyan Banerjee and AAPs Sanjay SinghDMKs T R Baalu Tiruchi Siva and Kanimozhi RJDs Manoj Kumar Jha CPIMs John Brittas SPIs Sandosh Kumar P RSPs N K Premchandran and MDMK leader Vaiko were also present at the meetingOpposition parties are strongly opposed to the bill slamming it as unconstitutional and against the interest of the Muslim community Several leading Muslim organisations have been rallying support against the billThe government has said the bill seeks to improve the management and administration of Waqf properties in India by bringing transparency and efficiency in their managementWith PTI inputs