New Delhi [India], April 2 : Slamming the Shiv Sena (UBT) for opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde said Balasaheb Thackeray would have pained on reading the UBT's dissent note.
"On behalf of Shiv Sena and my leader Eknath Shinde, I completely support this Bill. This is a historic and important day. First Article 370, then Triple Talaq and CAA, and now this Bill has been brought to this House for the welfare of the poor. I was pained upon hearing his (UBT's Arvind Sawant) speech. It was very shocking," Shrikant Shinde said.
He said the Shiv Sena UBT's dissent note would have pained Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray.
"I would like to ask UBT a question, they should ask their conscience whether they would have spoken the same had Balasaheb (Thackeray) been alive today. It is clear today whose ideology UBT is adopting today and opposing this Bill. They had a golden opportunity to rectify their mistakes, rewrite their history and keep their ideology alive. But UBT bulldozed their ideology beforehand. Had Balasaheb been here today and read UBT's dissent note, he would have been pained," the Shinde said.
The son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde further said that the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray was the protection of Hindutva, unity of the country and respect for people belonging to other religions.
"After reading the dissent note of UBT, Balasaheb Thackeray would have been pained. Earlier UBT had allergy with Hindutva but now UBT has allergy with Hindus. In another dissent note UBT says that protect and preserve the properties which are personal properties dedicated by various rulers, nawabs and zamidars. UBT is speaking for Aurangzeb, who came in Maharashtra to catch Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and kill Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj," he added.
Earlier in the day, while moving the bill for passing in the lower house of the parliament, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the bill will not be applicable retrospectively and the Centre is not seeking more powers.
"When our country has the largest Waqf property in the world, why hasn't it been used for the education, medical treatment, skill development, and income generation of poor Muslims? Why has no progress been made in this regard so far?" Rijiju said.
Along with the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Rijiju also moved the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha.
The bill was earlier presented in the Lok Sabha in August last year and a Joint Parliamentary Committee, headed by BJP member Jagdambika Pal, examined it.
The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995. It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards in the country, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records.