After expressing ‘concern’ over voting for Waqf Law, BJD reaffirms commitment to ‘secularism’
Of the seven BJD Rajya Sabha MPs, four voted in favour of the Bill, while two opposed it. One member, Debasish Samantaray, abstained from voting.
Bhubaneswar: Facing sharp criticism from the Congress over its support for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday reiterated that its decision was made in the interest of the state. The party emphasised that the vote did not compromise its secular identity or its policy of maintaining "equidistance" from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.
Following a meeting with party president Naveen Patnaik at his residence, senior leader and BJD Advisory Committee president Prasanna Acharya stated, “We have deliberated on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. We are neither part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nor the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDI Alliance). For us, the state’s interest comes first.”
The advisory committee met with Patnaik after several senior leaders voiced “serious concern” over some Rajya Sabha members supporting the Bill, reportedly in contradiction to an earlier decision to oppose it.
Of the seven BJD Rajya Sabha MPs, four voted in favour of the Bill, while two opposed it. One member, Debasish Samantaray, abstained from voting.
Acharya noted that the meeting also touched upon organisational matters. Earlier in the day, a session was held at Sankha Bhavan, the party headquarters in Bhubaneswar, followed by a gathering of senior leaders at Naveen Niwas in the evening. Key leaders present included Rajanikant Singh, Shashi Bhushan Behera, Nrusingha Sahu, Prasanna Acharya, and Debi Prasad Mishra.
“The Biju Janata Dal is a secular party. We were secular in the past, we are secular today, and we will remain secular in the future,” Acharya asserted.
He added, “We will continue to uphold our secular values and maintain our policy of equidistance. The BJD was founded on secular principles and ideologies. That position has never changed, and it never will. All committee members have conveyed their views to the party president and engaged in a thorough discussion.”
Meanwhile, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das accused Naveen Patnaik and his close aide, former bureaucrat-turned-politician VK Pandian, of secretly aligning with the BJP leadership in Delhi.
“Naveen Patnaik and his blue-eyed boy, VK Pandian, held a clandestine meeting with BJP leaders in Delhi. This isn’t about individual conscience—it’s about political convenience. The BJD is caught in a web of scandals, including massive mining and chit fund scams. To avoid legal scrutiny, the party is now extending tacit support to the BJP-led Central government,” Das alleged.
He further asserted that despite the BJD’s shifting postures, the Congress remained the true opposition in the state.
“The BJP and BJD have always shared a behind-the-scenes understanding. It is the Congress that has continuously fought for the rights of the people of Odisha—and we will keep doing so,” he added.