Shiv Sena (UBT) supremo and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday broke his silence on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The Shiv Sena (UBT) supremo proclaimed that be it Waqf Board or any temple or other religious property, he will let anyone touch these properties at any cost.
"I am announcing that be it Waqf Board or any temple or other religious property, I will not let anyone touch those properties at any cost. This is my promise," Thackeray was quoted as saying by newswire ANI. He also raised Shankarachaya Swami Avimukteshwaranand's allegations that over 200 kg of gold was stolen from Kedarnath.
"This is not a question of just the Board. It's a matter of our temples also, as Shankaracharya says that 200 kg of gold was stolen from Kedarnath. That should also be investigated," the former Maharashtra CM said.
Furthemore, he targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and asked why it was not passed when the BJP was in absolute majority.
Swami Avimukteshwaranand's allegations of 200 kg gold stolen from Kedarnath
Last month, Swami Avimukteshwaranand alleged that 228 kg of gold that was brought for lining the internal walls of the Kedarnath temple is missing. The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee dismissed these allegations and asked the Shankaracharya to approach authorities if he had evidence to support his claims.
Temple Committee chairman Ajendra Ajay asked Swami Avimukteshwaranand to not push "agenda of the Congress" by making false accusations. He alleged that the media confusion about the temple's sanctum sanctorum gold plating is part of a conspiracy.
Muslims protest outside Matoshree
Uddhav Thackeray's statement on Waqf Bill comes days after a group of Muslims protested outside his residence Matoshree. They protested the absence of Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs when Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju tabled the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha.
The protestors outside Matoshree raised slogans like 'vote lekar bhaag gaye' and said that Muslims voted for Shiv Sena (UBT). They also said that Uddhav needs to answer them on why his party's MPs abstained from voting on the bill.
The bill, however, was referred to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) after a heated discussion and debate.