RLD votes for bill, but wary of spelling out stand in public

LUCKNOW: BJP ally RLD voted in support of the Waqf Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, but has been muted in public about its stand on the issue. RLD functionaries said the party has not been vocal as it wants to avoid angering any specific community or group that constitutes a voter base in its stronghold of western UP.

Neither party chief Jayant Chaudhary , who is a Rajya Sabha MP and Union minister, nor its two Lok Sabha MPs - Rajkumar Sangwan and Chandan Chauhan - have publicly spelt out their support for the bill.

Even after the bill's passage in Parliament, top RLD netas refrained from commenting, terming the issue "sensitive".

Speaking to TOI, a senior party functionary quoted Jayant as saying that "we are with NDA", but added, "We have been asked not to comment until directed by party leadership."

Another RLD neta said the party had suggested "certain amendments" in the bill, which were accepted. He did not mention the amendments.

Political experts said as partner in the BJP-led coalition, RLD might be seeking to strike a balance between its support to govt and its political constituents, primarily Muslims.