Prevail upon Shah to drop Waqf Bill in next meet: CM to EPS

CHENNAI: Days after the meeting between AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and Union Minister Amit Shah in Delhi grabbed the attention of the nation, Chief Minister MK Stalin asked Leader of Opposition to discuss the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 the next time he meets the BJP top leader.

The CM made this sarcastic remark to take a dig at Palaniswami, who had claimed to have spoken about the two-language policy during his meeting with Shah, causing embarrassment in the opposition bench. This even prompted deputy Leader of the Opposition RB Udhayakumar to request the Speaker M Appavu to expunge a portion of the CM’s comment regarding Palaniswami’s mode of transport in Delhi. In response, the CM offered to expunge the remark if the AIADMK leaders felt uncomfortable with it.

The politically charged remarks from Stalin followed his thanks to the AIADMK for supporting the resolution, which demands that the Union government withdraw the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024. “After learning about the LoP’s Delhi trip and who he was meeting, I made a comment here (in the House). The reporters asked Palaniswami about it in Delhi, but he denied meeting anyone. He further claimed that he had visited Delhi to see the newly inaugurated party office.”

However, Palaniswami did meet with the Union Minister later in the day, the CM said in the House. “There is nothing wrong with that,” Stalin said, adding that, “The LoP later told the media that he met Shah to discuss the two-language policy. I thank him for bringing up the two-language policy with the Union Minister. When he meets him next time, he should talk about the Waqf (amendment) Act,” he quipped, amid laughter from the treasury bench, leaving AIADMK whip S P Velumani, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Udhayakumar, and other senior leaders visibly uncomfortable.