BJD claims it's secular amid row over its MPs voting in favour of Waqf Bill

Bhubaneswar: Amid a row over change in stand over voting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday asserted it is a secular regional outfit and maintains equal distance from the BJP-led NDA and the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc led by the Congress.

The party made the assertion after a group of senior leaders led by BJD's advisory committee convenor and deputy leader in assembly Prasanna Acharya met party president Naveen Patnaik on Friday evening.

The senior leaders held a detailed discussion with Patnaik on how the party's stand on the Waqf Bill changed overnight and some BJD MPs voted in support of the Bill.

"We had a detailed discussion with party president Naveen Patnaik and he reiterated that the BJD continues to remain secular. There has been no change in the party's stand as far as its secular character is concerned," Acharya told reporters after the meeting.

He, however, avoided questions on how the BJD's stand changed on Waqf Bill despite its parliamentary party's announcement to oppose the legislation in Parliament.

Acharya had himself earlier in the day said that they will take up the matter with Patnaik.

BJD's coordination committee chairman Debi Prasad Mishra, who was also present in the meeting, said, "The BJD continues to maintain an equal distance from both the BJP and Congress-led fronts. We are a regional party and fight for the interest of the state." Patnaik's residence Naveen Niwas witnessed hectic political activities as senior leaders from different parts of the state gathered there to ascertain the cause behind the change in BJD's stand on Waqf Bill despite Patnaik himself assuring the Muslim community that the regional party would oppose the legislation in Parliament.

BJD MP and national spokesperson Sasmit Patra, after passage of the contentious Bill in Rajya Sabha, said that he voted for the Waqf Bill as the party did not issue any whip on the issue.

He claimed he was not aware whether six other MPs of the party also voted in support of the Bill. The party has seven MPs in the Rajya Sabha and none in Lok Sabha.

"I cannot say about others. I voted in support of the Bill," Patra told PTI.

While it was anticipated that the BJD's lone Muslim MP Muzibulla Khan, who stood to oppose the Bill in Rajya Sabha, has voted against the Bill, another MP Debashish Samantaray confirmed that he abstained from voting in protest against the party's confusing stand.

"The BJD had earlier decided to oppose the Bill and the party president had recently reiterated it. However, on Thursday afternoon, suddenly we were told to vote as per our conscience. I chose to skip voting as I did not like it," he said.

Another party MP Sulata Deo claimed that the party members voted for and against the Bill on a 50-50 basis.

Interestingly, a day before voting for the Waqf Bill was taken up in the Rajya Sabha, the party had stated that its members would vote against it.

Many senior BJD leaders have not accepted the change of stand by the party at the last moment.

"There might be some game behind the change of stand. Naveen babu had categorically told Muzibulla Khan that the BJD will oppose the Bill as decided by the parliamentary party. The change of stand is not acceptable," Badri Narayan Patra, a former minister and sitting MLA, said.

Senior BJD leader Shashi Bhusan Behera said, "We are also confused and are hearing a lot of things. The party is strong and the president is capable of clearing all confusion and dealing with the situation." Odisha's ruling BJP, however, said that the BJD was confused after losing power in the state.

"The BJD has gone directionless and therefore its MPs are voting for and against a Bill. There is no unanimity in the party," Odisha BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal said.

Taking the opportunity, the opposition Congress strongly criticised the BJD and accused it of going against its promise to the Muslim community in the state by voting in favour of the Bill.

"The BJD parliamentary party had earlier decided to oppose the Bill. We had also heard that the party would boycott the Rajya Sabha during voting. Suddenly, the BJD changed its stand and voted in support of the Bill. BJD's decision has tarnished the image of Naveen Patnaik and the party," OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das said.

"The BJD was functioning on the ideology of the late Biju Patnaik and Naveen babu also claimed to be secular. Now they have completely surrendered before the BJP. In the process, they (BJD) have saffronised themselves. I will not be surprised if the BJD merges with the BJP following the regional party’s change of ideology," the state Congress chief told reporters here.