Opposed Waqf Bill as BJP plans to grab land: Uddhav Thackeray

Shivsena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray. File
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray stated on Thursday (April 3, 2025) that his party voted against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament to oppose the BJP-led Central government’s “plan to grab land” to benefit its “industrialist friends”. However, Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hit back, calling the Shiv Sena (UBT)‘s stand against the Bill “biggest crime”.

Mr. Thackeray pointed to the BJP’s “hypocrisy” and called the speeches of the BJP MPs “sheer appeasement”. On the one hand, they made speeches appeasing Muslims while on the other, targeted parties that voted against it, he said. “If the Bill favours Muslims as per the speeches of the BJP and their alliance party leaders, and we are against the Bill, then how can they say we abandoned Hindutva? Who left Hindutva, the BJP or us?” the former Maharashtra Chief Minister asked. 

The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on Wednesday, with 288 MPs in favour and 232 against. Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs voted against the Bill.

Without taking Mr. Shinde’s name, Mr. Thackeray said, “Gaddar [traitor] thinks we left Hindutva, so when Muslims were appeased, why was he part of the flattery? He should have left, saying, ‘this is unacceptable, as we are believers of Babasaheb Thackeray’.”

Also Read | Senior JD(U) leader Mohammad Kasim Ansari resigns, quits party over its stand on Waqf Bill

Taking potshots at Union Ministers Amit Shah and Kiren Rijiju and MPs of the ruling National Democratic Alliance, Mr. Thackeray said, “Everyone spoke about the welfare of the Muslim women and poor… even Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, would be ashamed that he could not make such speeches.” 

Mr. Thackeray accused the BJP of playing a divide-and-rule game for political gains. He said when the Shiv Sena (then undivided) supported the dilution of Article 370, they had hoped that the Kashmiri Pandits would get their land back. “However, so many days and years have passed. Of those Kashmiri Pandits, how many received their land back?” 

Mr. Thackeray said they were not against the Bill and do support a few good amendments, but knew that by taking control of the Waqf Board, the BJP’s eyes will be on the land. Citing the Shiv Sena (UBT)‘s argument in the Parliament during discussion on the Bill, Mr. Thackeray said, “MP Arvind Sawant argued that Hindus won’t tolerate if a non-Hindu is part of their trust, then how can you appoint a non-Muslim to Waqf panels?” 

Responding to the statement, Mr. Shinde called Mr. Thackeray confused. “Opposing the Waqf Bill shows they have abandoned Hindutva and the ideals of Balasaheb Thackeray; this is their biggest crime. The 2024 Assembly election results clearly indicated that Uddhav Thackeray had stabbed both Hindus and Muslims in their back,” Mr. Shinde said. 

BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule labelled the Shiv Sena (UBT)‘s stand on the Bill as “disrespectful” to Maharashtra and the country. “Uddhav Thackeray has deserted Bal Thackeray’s ideology and shown he has accepted the Congress’s ideology. He wanted the vote of a particular community in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, but other communities voted against him. His party workers who support Hindutva ideology want to leave the party. People will never forgive him.”