Bhubaneswar, Apr 5: Several BJD leaders have expressed their resentment over the decision of the party’s Rajya Sabha leader, Sasmit Patra, to vote in favour of the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
The leaders have also strongly objected to Patra’s post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, where he stated that there was no party whip and that the BJD had entrusted its members with the responsibility of voting according to their conscience, in the best interest of justice, harmony, and the rights of communities, when the bill came up for voting.
In a letter to party president Naveen Patnaik, senior BJD leader and former minister Pratap Jena said the party should seriously examine and investigate the circumstances under which Patra made the statement on social media.
Describing Patra’s statement as “most unfortunate and painful,” Jena said he suspects there is a conspiracy behind the BJD Rajya Sabha leader’s post and urged the party to identify those responsible.
The senior leader also requested the party supremo to issue a show-cause notice to Patra and sought a formal clarification on his statement.
Jena said he is confident that the party President will take the matter seriously, considering the interests of both the party and the state.
He added that the Biju Janata Dal has always worked for the welfare of minority communities and their social and economic upliftment over the past 24 years, and will continue to do so in the future.
The BJD had initially announced that it would oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha. However, the party did not issue a whip to its MPs, allowing its seven Rajya Sabha members to vote according to their conscience.
As a result, four BJD MPs opposed the bill, two supported it, and one MP, Debashis Samantray, abstained during the voting.
Later, Sasmit Patra—who is also the BJD’s floor leader in the Rajya Sabha and the party’s national spokesperson—stated that the party leadership had not issued any whip regarding the Wakf Amendment Bill. He also confirmed that he had supported the bill during the voting in the Upper House of Parliament.
Party sources said some senior BJD leaders met Naveen Patnaik on Friday, raised concerns over the party’s decision not to issue a whip, and expressed unease over the change in the BJD’s stance on the Waqf Amendment Bill.
Senior party MLA Badri Narayan Patra suspected a secret deal behind the party’s change of position. Similar views were echoed by two other senior leaders, who also urged the party President to look into the matter seriously. (UNI)
Dissent in BJD Over Waqf Bill Stand in Rajya Sabha
