Ajit Pawar's support to Waqf Bill shows his hypocrisy and helplessness for power, alleges Sapkal
Mumbai, Apr 4 (PTI): Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal on Friday said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's support to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was a sign of his helplessness for power and shows the hypocrisy of his politics.
He also said the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's ploy to intimidate the Muslim community and seize thousands of acres of land.
The contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday and by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of Friday after marathon debates in both Houses of Parliament. The bill aims to streamline the management of Waqf properties (assets permanently donated by Muslims for religious or charitable purposes) with provisions to safeguard heritage sites and promote social welfare.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar supported the bill in Parliament.
"Ajit Pawar's support to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a sign of his helplessness for power. His secular mask has been exposed and he has betrayed the Muslim community," Sapkal told reporters.
Despite joining the government in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ajit Pawar and his NCP claimed they had not abandoned the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. However, their true face has now been exposed, he alleged.
By supporting the BJP-led government's Waqf Bill, Ajit Pawar has completely surrendered to the BJP for the sake of power. He not only betrayed his uncle, Sharad Pawar, by taking the party's name and symbol with the BJP's help, but also aligned himself with communal forces for power, the Congress leader hit out at the deputy CM.
"Ajit Pawar continues to claim that his participation in the Mahayuti government is for the sake of development and that he has not abandoned the progressive ideals. However, his actions tell a different story," he said.
"At an Iftar party, he made bold declarations that those harassing the Muslim community would not be spared or forgiven. But within a few days, his NCP faction supported the Waqf Bill, thereby betraying the Muslim community," he said.
The bill is nothing more than a ploy by the BJP government to intimidate the Muslim community and seize thousands of acres of land, he said.
The BJP government has already set a course to hand over key properties, including those in Dharavi, to a particular industrialist. After acquiring Waqf lands, this government will hand them over to their favoured business tycoons. Ajit Pawar, a senior leader, is fully aware of this, yet he is unable to stay away from power. He has bowed before the BJP and supported the bill, Sapkal alleged.
"Ajit Pawar's actions reveal the hypocrisy of his politics. What he preaches and what he practices is entirely different. People must recognise this deception and stay alert," he warned.
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Himanta resigns as Assam CM, paving way for formation of new govt
Guwahati (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday resigned along with his cabinet colleagues, paving the way for formation of a new government led by the BJP, officials said.
The BJP-led NDA bagged 102 seats in the 126-member assembly. The assembly elections were held in a single phase on April 9, and counting of votes took place on May 4.
"Following the formal notification of the results of #AssamElections2026 and to enable the formation of the new government, Dr @himantabiswa tendered his resignation as Chief Minister along with that of the council of Ministers to Hon'ble Governor Shri @Laxmanacharya54 today at Lok Bhawan," the Chief Minister's Office said in a post on X.
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The Governor has accepted the resignation, and requested Sarma to continue as the caretaker CM till the new government assumes office, it said.
Later, speaking to reporters outside the Lok Bhawan, Sarma said the oath-taking ceremony is likely to take place after May 11.
“As it was a historic win, we have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grace the occasion," he said.
The new Assam chief minister will be selected at a meeting of the BJP legislature party in presence of central observers, Sarma said.
