Tejashwi trying to 'appease' Muslims with Waqf Act remarks: Kiren Rijiju

New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS) Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday lashed out at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav over his remarks on the Waqf Amendment Act, saying that he "lacks maturity" and is making such statements merely to "appease the Muslim community" ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.

Tejashwi Yadav, the Mahagathbandhan's chief ministerial face in Bihar, had earlier said that if his government is formed, he would scrap the Waqf Act.

"I want to tell you that when I become the CM, Tejashwi will throw the Waqf Board law bill into the dustbin. When I become the CM, every Bihari will become CM -- meaning 'Chinta Mukt' (free from worries). Bihar today lacks good colleges, education is poor, poverty is high, and migration continues. My only dream is to make Bihar number one," he said, attacking the ruling NDA for what he called "20 years of stagnation".

Reacting sharply to this, Kiren Rijiju, in an interview with IANS, said, "It's surprising that Tejashwi Yadav claims to be the Chief Minister and doesn't know the basic fact that a state government cannot overturn any law passed by Parliament. He does not know the Constitution. How can he talk like this?"

Rijiju said that people across the country, including in Bihar, are watching Yadav's remarks.

"The people of Bihar and the entire country are watching, laughing that a person who calls himself a Chief Minister candidate doesn't even know that he will throw a Parliamentary Act into the dustbin if he becomes Chief Minister," he said.

Accusing Yadav of being "desperate" for power, the Union Minister said, "What kind of language is he using? First, I think Tejashwi is not mature and lacks knowledge. Second, he is so desperate for power that he will say anything. To gain Muslim votes, will he say he will throw the Waqf Act into the dustbin? How can he say such a thing?"

Responding to a question about whether any state government can deny implementation of a law passed by Parliament, Rijiju, who also holds the Minority Affairs portfolio, clarified that no state has such authority.

"Any law passed by Parliament applies to the entire country, and no one can remove the power granted by the Constitution," he asserted.

Hitting out at the Opposition for "dynastic politics", Rijiju said, "Can Tejashwi Yadav and Rahul Gandhi explain that if they don't obey laws passed by Parliament, if they don't obey what the Supreme Court has cleared, then do they not obey Parliament, the Supreme Court, or Indian democracy? The children of these few families consider themselves above the law, above the Constitution, above Parliament. But the country and the people are watching."

The Union Minister also accused the Opposition of engaging in appeasement politics ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.

"For decades, Congress and RJD have ruled by doing Muslim appeasement, by deceiving and misleading Muslims. Now Muslims have understood this, and gradually they all will. But a large section is still being controlled by some people who are trying to create a vote bank by misleading them, by intimidating them, and by using the BJP as a pretext," he said.

Rijiju added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the entire nation -- including Muslims -- "will progress".

"Gradually, Muslims will also understand that the country will progress only because of PM Modi. Under PM Modi's leadership, not just Muslims but everyone, whether minority or majority, will be safe in India. Everyone knows this, and Muslims have also come to understand this to a large extent," he said.

--IANS

sd/dan