Mamata Banerjee playing political games, using anti-social elements for vote bank: BJP's Dilip Jaiswal

New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaiswal reacted sharply to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s meeting with Muslim religious leaders on Wednesday and alleged that she was playing the political game using anti-social elements to build her vote bank.

The meeting reportedly aims to formulate a strategy to oppose the Waqf Act in West Bengal.

While speaking with IANS, Jaiswal said, “This is Mamata Banerjee's political game. Muslim brothers never try to establish unrest or promote violence. But to build her vote bank, she is using people with an anti-social mindset."

CM Banerjee and her party, Trinbamool Congress, have openly criticised the Centre’s approach to religious and minority rights, and Wednesday’s meeting is expected to finalise a roadmap for 'legal and public resistance'.

In another development, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a significant case on Wednesday regarding the constitutional validity of the Waqf Act; ahead of it, Dilip Jaiswal urged people to give the Act at least a year.

He stated that if improvements are needed after that time, the government is open to making amendments.

Opposition parties have filed a petition demanding the annulment of the Act, claiming it is discriminatory and lacks a proper legal framework. The case is likely to have wide-reaching implications for religious endowments and community rights across the country.

Dilip Jaiswal addressed the issue ahead of the hearing in the Supreme Court, defending the legislation and urging the public to give it time.

“You can see that the Waqf Board was formed through a democratic process for the welfare of Pasmanda Muslims, poor Muslims and to free the board from those who had long controlled it. A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was constituted, opinions were taken from crores of people, and extensive discussions were held in both Houses of Parliament. Only after that was this law brought in,” Jaiswal said.

He added a comparison to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), saying, “My appeal to the people is, take a look at this law for one year, just as we did with the CAA. At that time, an atmosphere of fear was created among Muslim brothers across the country. If, after one year, you feel improvements are needed, we are open to amendments.”

--IANS

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