Mumbai: Criticised by his Muslim voters for remaining absent during the discussion of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Parliament on Thursday, Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament from Mumbai South Arvind Sawant said he would oppose the law, but added that he would follow the principle of 'appeasement of none'. He said he was absent because he was accompanying Uddhav Thackeray, his party's leader who was visiting Delhi. On August 8, the bill which proposes changes in the existing 1995 law, was introduced in the Lok Sabha and later referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) after objections from the opposition.
Sawant, a member of the JPC, said, "We will play a judicial role in the committee. There will be no appeasement of any group. We are not running away.
" Replying to charges from Muslims that nine MPs from Shiv Sena (UBT) were absent when the bill was presented before the house, Sawant said that his party members were accompanying Thackeray who was in Delhi. "We were not absent deliberately," said Sawant who spoke over the phone to some Muslim members in his parliamentary constituency on Friday morning to explain his absence in the house. The MP said that many Muslims themselves wanted some changes in the current law as it is often abused.
"There are certain problems with the Waqf Board. There are complaints that properties are mismanaged and sold. The government wants to improve it.
We will see if that's possible," said Sawant. "We will not appease anyone. What .