BJP Demands Sonia Gandhi's Apology For Waqf Bill Remarks

The BJP has demanded an apology from Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over her remarks on the Waqf Bill. Mrs Gandhi termed the Waqf Bill a "brazen assault" on the Constitution, accusing the BJP of seeking to keep society in a state of "permanent polarisation."

The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf amendment bill late on Thursday, leading to strong reactions from both the ruling party and the opposition.

Speaking at a Congress Parliamentary Party meeting in Samvidhan Sadan, Mrs Gandhi claimed that the Bill was "bulldozed" through the lower house. She also criticised the proposed One Nation, One Election Bill, calling it a subversion of the Constitution, and vowed that the Congress would strongly oppose it.

"Whether it is education, civil rights and liberties, our federal structure, or the conduct of elections, the Modi government is dragging the country into an abyss where our Constitution will remain on paper," she said. She further accused the government of attempting to turn India into a "surveillance state."

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi were among those present at the meeting. Mrs Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had rebranded and marketed initiatives from the 2004-2014 Congress rule as his own, and called for a public outreach campaign to counter such claims.

On the functioning of Parliament, she accused the treasury benches of frequently disrupting proceedings to prevent the Congress from raising issues. She urged Congress MPs to aggressively counter the BJP's "falsehoods" about Congress-ruled states and to highlight failures in BJP-ruled states with thorough research.

The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill after a 12-hour debate. Amendments moved by Opposition members were rejected by voice vote. The final tally stood at 288 in favor and 232 against. The Bill is now set to be discussed in the Rajya Sabha.

The debate in the Rajya Sabha was heated. Opposition parties labeled the Bill "anti-Muslim" and "unconstitutional," while the government defended it as a "historic reform" aimed at benefiting the minority community. The Bill passed the Rajya Sabha with 128 votes in favor and 95 against.

Following Mrs Gandhi's remarks, BJP MPs led by Nishikant Dubey demanded an apology, arguing that she had accused the BJP of "taking the country down the drain" and that her statements were an attack on the Indian Constitution. As a result, Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned on Friday morning amid protests from BJP members, who chanted "Sonia Gandhi maafi maango" (Sonia Gandhi, apologise). Opposition members, in turn, demanded government responses on US tariff impositions.

The Congress has announced plans to challenge the Waqf Bill in the Supreme Court. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X that the party would "very soon" contest the Bill's constitutionality, adding, "We are confident and will continue to resist all assaults of the Modi government on the principles, provisions, and practices that are contained in the Constitution of India."