Amaravati, April 1: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has issued a whip to all its Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha for April 2, when the Waqf Amendment Bill is scheduled to be introduced in the House.
The party has issued a three-line whip to all its Members of Parliament, directing them to be present in the Lok Sabha and support the government’s stand. “This directive comes in light of the scheduled introduction of the Waqf Bill, which is expected to be a matter of significant discussion in the House.
The party remains committed to ensuring that its stance on this important legislation is effectively represented,” the TDP, a partner in the BJP-led NDA government, said in a statement. G. M. Harish Balayogi, TDP’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha, issued the whip.
“All TDP members in Lok Sabha are hereby informed that some very important legislative business will be taken up for passing in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, i.e 2nd April 2025. All members of TDP in Lok Sabha are therefore, requested to be present in the House, throughout the day on Wednesday, 2nd April 2025 and support the government’s stand,” reads the whip.
With 16 MPs in Lok Sabha, the TDP is a key partner in the Narendra Modi government, and its support will be crucial to pass the controversial bill. Muslim organisations on March 27 boycotted Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s Iftar party to protest his tacit support for the Waqf Amendment Bill.
On a call given by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Muslim leaders had stayed away from the Iftar and dinner. The boycott call was given to mount pressure on the TDP to make the Narendra Modi government withdraw the Waqf Bill.
The AIMPLB had called for a boycott of Iftar parties hosted by the TDP-led NDA government in Vijayawada and other places in Andhra Pradesh to demand that the TDP make the Union Government withdraw the Waqf Amendment Bill from Parliament.
In October last year, an AIMPLB delegation had met Chandrababu Naidu and urged him to oppose Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 in the Parliament. The delegation apprised the Chief Minister of their objections to the amendments proposed by the Narendra Modi government to the Waqf Act.
The Muslim leaders told Naidu that the proposed amendments would destroy Waqf properties and hurt the sentiments of Muslims. The leaders of AIMPLB and other organisations explained how the amendments would harm the very purpose of Waqf and would prove detrimental to the interests of the community. The TDP chief assured the Muslim leaders that the party would take an appropriate decision after a discussion over the issue.
IANS