Mayawati, the leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), questioned Rahul Gandhi, the Lok Sabha’s Leader of the Opposition (LoP), on Saturday for being silent throughout the parliamentary deliberations to approve the Waqf Amendment Bill, which is now an Act.

According to her, Gandhi said nothing when the opposition called the Waqf Act’s changes “unconstitutional”, just as they had done with the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). As a result, she said, the Muslim community’s ire and the INDIA bloc’s unease were “natural”.

“Is the Leader of the Opposition justified in remaining mute during the lengthy debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, even if the opposition claims that it violates the Constitution like the CAA? It is understandable that the Muslim community are upset about this and that their India Alliance are uneasy about it. Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati posed on X.

She further accused the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being “equally guilty” of denying the Bahujans their rights. Religious minorities should refrain from their “deception”, she urged.

“In any case, the Congress, BJP, and other political parties share equal responsibility for the deprivation of Bahujans by rendering their claim to reservation in government employment and education ineffectual and dormant. Minority religious groups must also refrain from lying,” Mayawati said.

The Bahujans in Uttar Pradesh were “distressed” while the BJP was allowed to impose its will on the state, Mayawati said, intensifying her criticism of the BJP. She suggested that the government concentrate on public welfare and drew attention to the growing privatisation of government agencies.

The state of Bahujans in Uttar Pradesh is very poor and disturbed in every way as a result of their attitude, while BJP members are free to enforce the law. The growing privatisation of energy and other government agencies is another concerning aspect of the situation. The government should appropriately carry out its constitutional duty to promote public welfare,” she said.