Priyanka Gandhi has same fire as her grandmother Indira Gandhi: Shiv Sena
Mumbai(PTI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has the same fire as her late grandmother Indira Gandhi, the Shiv Sena said on Wednesday while slamming the BJP and the Uttar Pradesh government for detaining the Congress general secretary while she was on her way to meet the family members of farmers who died in violence in Lakhmipur Kheri district.
An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' also asked if there was an India-Pakistan like animosity, after Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and his Punjab counterpart Charanjit Singh Channi were stopped from going to Lakhmipur Kheri, and dubbed it as a strange incident in the federal structure of the country.
Since she (Priyanka Gandhi) is a general secretary of the Congress party, there can be a political attack on her, but she is also the granddaughter of great leader Indira Gandhi who made great sacrifices for the country and partitioned Pakistan (into Bangladesh). Those who illegally imprisoned her should have been conscious of this fact, the Marathi daily said.
Priyanka Gandhi asked fiery questions to the UP administration on what was her crime and whether a warrant was issued or an FIR registered against her for the imprisonment, said the Sena, which shares power with the Congress and NCP in Maharashtra.
The (Uttar Pradesh) administration not only stopped her, but also manhandled her, the editorial alleged.
"Priyanka Gandhi is a fiery leader and fighter. Her eyes and voice have the same fire as Indira Gandhi," it said.
On Tuesday, Priyanka Gandhi alleged that she was being held illegally at the PAC compound in Sitapur, no notice or FIR was provided to her, and she was not allowed to meet her legal counsel.
Officials said the Uttar Pradesh Police have booked her and 10 other people under sections related to preventive custody due to apprehension of breach of peace. The Shiv Sena claimed Priyanka Gandhi was insulted .
Had this taken place with any of the BJP woman workers in Maharashtra, the party would have unleashed its army of women volunteers, the Marathi publication claimed.
The BJP has its own definition of exploitation of women and the attack on Indira Gandhi's granddaughter does not come under that purview, it said.
Four of the eight dead in Sunday's violence in Lakhimpur Kheri were farmers, allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to an event in the area.
The others, including BJP workers and their driver, were allegedly pulled out of the vehicles and lynched by the protesters.
The Uttar Pradesh Police have lodged a case against Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra's son Ashish, but no arrest has been made so far.
The Shiv Sena said the one who ordered to fire bullets at farmers at the Jallianwalla Bagh was a British. The one who crushed freedom fighter Babu Genu under a truck in Mumbai (during the independence struggle), while he was protesting against foreign clothes, was also a British, it said.
But, the one who crushed farmers fighting for their rights in Lakhimpur Kheri is the son of a Union minister, the Sena alleged.
On Tuesday, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi and said a united opposition is very important to save democracy in the country.
I met Rahul Gandhi. We discussed many issues, but I cannot disclose what all we discussed. I have also held discussions with him on the Lakhimpur incident, he told reporters after the meeting.
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Parliament passes Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025
New Delhi (PTI): Parliament early Friday passed the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after it was approved by the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha had on Thursday approved the Bill after over a 12-hour debate.
In Rajya Sabha, the Bill got 128 votes in its favour and 95 against after all the amendments moved by the opposition were rejected.
In the lower house, the bill was supported by 288 MPs while 232 voted against it.
Participating in a debate in the Rajya Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Bill was brought with a number of amendments based on suggestions given by various stakeholders.
"The Waqf Board is a statutory body. All government bodies should be secular," the minister said, explaining the inclusion of non-Muslims on the board.
He, however, said the number of non-Muslims has been restricted to only four out of 22.
Rijiju also alleged that the Congress and other opposition parties, and not the BJP, were trying to scare Muslims with the Waqf Bill.
"You (opposition) are pushing Muslims out of the mainstream," he added.
He said for 60 years, the Congress and others ruled the country, but did not do much for Muslims and the community continues to live in poverty.
"Muslims are poor, who is responsible? You (Congress) are. Modi is now leading the government to uplift them," the minister said.
According to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Waqf tribunals will be strengthened, a structured selection process will be maintained, and a tenure will be fixed to ensure efficient dispute resolution.
As per the Bill, while Waqf institutions' mandatory contribution to Waqf boards is reduced from 7 per cent to 5 per cent, Waqf institutions earning over Rs 1 lakh will undergo audits by state-sponsored auditors.
A centralised portal will automate Waqf property management, improving efficiency and transparency.
The Bill proposes that practising Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their property to the Waqf, restoring pre-2013 rules.
It stipulates that women must receive their inheritance before the Waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans.
The Bill proposes that an officer above the rank of collector investigate government properties claimed as Waqf.
It also proposes that non-Muslim members be included in the central and state Waqf boards for inclusivity.
