Bhubaneswar: Leader of Opposition in Odisha assembly Naveen Patnaik on Thursday asserted that his party, the BJD, would “strongly oppose” the Waqf (Amendment) Bill if it is tabled in Parliament.
Patnaik, addressing the concluding session of the BJD Minority Cell meeting at ‘Sankha Bhawan’ here, said Odisha is known for harmony, brotherhood and peace.
“The BJD will strongly oppose the bill if it is tabled in Parliament,” the five-time former chief minister said.
The contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill seeks to reform the registration process for Waqf properties through a centralised portal. It has been referred to a joint parliamentary panel.
“We are proud of our cultural diversity. Cooperation of everyone is required to build a prosperous country,” Patnaik said.
Patnaik also claimed that he has been meeting people from minority communities every day, and they have expressed a “sense of insecurity”.
“BJD is truly a secular party and it is neither part of the NDA or the INDIA bloc. The BJD had earlier supported some of the bills introduced by the NDA government for the sake of cooperative federalism,” BJD Minority Cell leader Munna Khan told reporters.
Khan also asserted that the BJD would not tolerate any attempt to disrupt social harmony in Odisha.
Though the BJD has no MP in the Lok Sabha, it has eight members in the Rajya Sabha.
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