Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has accused the top Central and Maharashtra BJP leaders of attempting to bribe opposition parties to pass the Waqf Amendment Bill. According to Raut, the government brought the legislation in an attempt to bring corruption into its legal framework and seize ₹2 lakh crore of land for “favoured” industrialists.
Raut alleged that the BJP pressured the Biju Janta Dal (BJD) until the last minute to support the bill, despite the BJD opposing it. However, the BJD did not issue a whip to its members and allowed them to vote according to their conscience. Raut claimed that his party also received pressure from senior BJP leaders in Maharashtra and Delhi.
The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Thursday night, but with only 300 votes, far short of the required majority. The Lok Sabha had given the draft law a day earlier, which was strongly opposed by a united opposition. Raut attributed his party’s narrow loss to some members being absent or ill at the time of voting.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/maharashtra/waqf-bill-bjp-sought-support-but-we-didnt-agree-claims-shiv-sena-ubts-raut/article69415756.ece