'Namazwadi not Samajwadi': BJP slams RJD on waqf remark

NEW DELHI: A day after RJD neta Tejashwi Yadav asserted that his bloc, if elected in Bihar, will throw the amended waqf Act in the dustbin, BJP Sunday launched an attack on the "INDI alliance", accusing it of disrespecting Parliament , misusing minority provisions to dilute SC/ST/OBC reservations , and defending religious laws over civil ones.

BJP spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi specifically targeted Yadav for his remarks, drawing parallels between RJD's stance and Sharia-leaning regimes, and accusing parties like RJD and SP of promoting "Namazwadi" instead of "samajwadi (socialism)".

Trivedi called Yadav's statement at a rally in Patna a serious disregard for democratic institutions. "The law has been passed by both Houses of Parliament and is under judicial review. At least half a dozen high court rulings, including those from Allahabad and Kolkata, support its validity," he said.

BJP criticised what it described as the selective use of minority status provisions under successive UPA govts. Citing official data, Trivedi said over 31,000 institutions were granted minority status between 2011 and 2014, which he claimed allowed them to bypass affirmative action policies applicable to SC, ST, and OBC groups. Institutions like Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia were cited as examples.Raising questions over the use and control of waqf properties, Trivedi alleged that significant portions of land remain underutilised and primarily serve elite interests.Trivedi questioned whether laws like waqf Act existed in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkiye, or Bangladesh. He also recalled Shah Bano case, stating it was only time in history a SC judgment was overturned by Parliament to accommodate religious law