Munna Khan Meets Naveen, Slams Patra Over Waqf Bill Row

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is facing growing internal unrest over its stand on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill after senior party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Munna Khan raised objections to fellow MP Sasmit Patra’s support for the bill in Parliament.

Khan, accompanied by members of the minority community, met BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik at his residence, Naveen Niwas, on Monday. The delegation expressed strong disapproval over the party’s perceived deviation from its stated position and demanded disciplinary action against those who allegedly violated the party line.

“Members of our minority community met Naveen Patnaik and demanded the suspension of those responsible for going against the party’s stand. Patnaik assured us that he would look into the matter and resolve it after a proper inquiry,” Khan told reporters after the meeting.

Earlier in the day, Khan criticised Patra upon his arrival at Bhubaneswar Airport. He asserted that the BJD Parliamentary Board had clearly decided to oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, and this position had the full backing of party president Naveen Patnaik.

“There was no confusion. The instruction from Naveen Patnaik was very clear — we were to vote against the Bill,” Khan said, taking a direct dig at Patra. “If someone wants to join the BJP, they are free to do so. But don’t stay in BJD and speak the language of another party. This kind of double-faced politics is unacceptable.”

Khan also said that he had attempted to reach out to Patra after the vote but received no response. “I called him to ask why he supported the Bill and later tweeted in its favour, but he didn’t answer.”

He further stated that Patra’s actions have hurt the sentiments of the minority community and risk sending the wrong message about the party’s position.

Patra, meanwhile, had maintained that the party did not issue a whip to its Rajya Sabha MPs on the bill, implying there was no binding direction.

Adding to the controversy, another BJD Rajya Sabha MP, Debashish Samantaray, accused former bureaucrat and BJD strategist V. K. Pandian of being the key conspirator behind the confusion surrounding the party’s stance.

With dissenting voices growing louder within the party, the Waqf Bill episode has sparked a rare public rift within the BJD, raising questions about internal coordination and leadership clarity ahead of key political battles.