The Waqf Amendment Bill is being presented in the Lok Sabha today, and polictians are expressing their views on same. Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut has criticise BJP and called this bill's agenda for benefit of Industrialist. While presenting his stand Sanjay Raut said, "The Waqf Bill has nothing to do with Hindutva. This bill is a normal bill. If anyone is associating it with it, it is foolishness. If there is a connection with this bill, then the clear purpose of this bill is to make it easy for some industrialists to take possession of the Waqf Board's property in the future. Our position is decided. You will see it at the last moment. We are not ambiguous at all. Some things have to be done after going to the floor and we will do them," Raut said. He was talking to reporters. Taking a dig at the BJP, Raut said, "Since the Bharatiya Janata Party did not have a mustache, we have been walking around in this country twisting the mustache of Hindutva. They should not teach us Hindutva. The Waqf Bill has nothing to do with Hindutva. This bill is a normal bill. The government wants to make some amendments to this bill. It is not only Muslims who are opposing those amendments in this country. As far as I know, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh also does not have full support for this bill. The BJP had taken a stand regarding the demolition of Aurangzeb's tomb in the state. The Sangh opposed their stand, saying, 'There is no need for this, don't spoil the atmosphere unnecessarily.' I know that the Sangh's stand regarding this bill is also same. Therefore, if anyone is mixing the issue of Hindutva with the issue of this bill, then it is foolishness."
Raut questioned Fadnavis on the bill's connection to Hindutva, arguing it's a reformist measure potentially facilitating industrialists' acquisition of Waqf Board property. He dismissed Fadnavis's and his alliance's concerns as irrelevant noise, asserting Shiv Sena's unwavering Hindutva stance and implying the bill is separate from Hindutva principles. He further added, "While we ourselves were in the opposition, we supported the Article 370 bill brought by the Bharatiya Janata Party, didn't we? Because that issue was related to national security, national integration and Hindutva. We did not oppose the Triple Talaq bill either, because that issue was related to poor Muslim women. However, the issue of the Waqf Board bill is related to their property worth lakhs of crores of rupees. Can those properties be given to our beloved industrialists in the future? We clearly see that this is the foundation stone for that".
Also Read: 'Opposition Are Trying To Mislead People': Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde On Waqf Amendment Bill (Watch Video)
As per the instructions of Shiv Sena party chief Uddhav Thackeray, we all MPs sat here at night and discussed. Now we will sit in our party office again. Our position has been decided. You will see it at the last minute, Raut said. When asked if opposition or support is still an issue at this time, Raut said, "There is no issue at all. There are some things that need to be done after going to the floor and we will do them."