'Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs were reluctant to vote against Waqf Bill, but...': Sanjay Nirupam's big claim against Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam on Friday made a huge claim against Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Following marathon debates in both the Houses of Parliament, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Lok Sabah on Thursday and in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. 

Addressing a news conference in Mumbai, Nirupam said that Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs were reluctant to vote against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha but caved in after getting calls from Thackeray.

"Uddhav Thackeray called his MPs in the Lok Sabha five times, instructing them to vote against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. They (Sena-UBT members) had to vote against the bill because of the whip issued by the party," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Barring Mumbai South MP Arvind Sawant and Mumbai South Central MP Anil Desai, calls were made to all other Lok Sabha MPs of the party, Nirupam claimed. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has 9 MPs in the Lok Sabha. 

He even went so far as to call Uddhav "Muslim Hridaysamrat", while adding the rival Shiv Sena's stand on the bill reflects Thackeray's intellectual bankruptcy. 

"Balasaheb Thackeray is known as 'Hindu Hridaysamrat' (king of Hindu hearts), but Uddhav Thackeray is now known as 'Muslim Hridaysamrat'." The Shiv Sena leader alleged that Uddhav Thackeray was under severe pressure from Muslim groups to oppose the bill. 

Meanwhile, Thackeray said at a press conference held on Thursday that Shiv Sena (UBT) was opposed to the BJP's "fraudulent" stance on the bill and its ploy to grab Waqf lands and give them to their "industrialist friends". 

In Rajya Sabha, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was approved in the Rajya Sabha with 128 votes in favour and 95 votes against it. In the Lok Sabha, the bill was created with 288 votes in favour whereas 232 votes were against it.

The bill focuses on the management of Waqf properties with provisions to safeguard heritage sites and to promote social welfare. It also aims to improve governance by enhancing transparency in property management, streamlining coordination between Waqf Boards and local authorities as well as protecting stakeholders' rights.