CM Mamata calls BJP 'anti-Muslim', says it 'played trick' to pass Waqf law

NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday doubled down on her stance against the new Waqf law as she vehemently criticised the BJP-led central government, accusing it of "playing a trick" in passing the Waqf law.
During a meeting with Muslim clerics, Mamata claimed that the Centre, instead of amending the Constitution with regard to the Waqf law, passed the bill with just a simple majority.
"If the Waqf Act has to be changed, why did you not amend the Constitution? This Act should be passed by a two-thirds majority. It cannot be passed by just a majority. When the Constitution is amended, it is done by a two-thirds majority, not just a majority, but you played a trick. Instead of amending the Constitution, you brought a bill," the Bengal CM.
Mamata also hit out at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, who are the key NDA allies, for keeping mum on the Waqf issue for some "power".
"Do you (BJP) have a majority on your own now? You don't have it, still you do all this. Today Chandrababu Naidu is sitting quietly. Nitish Babu is sitting quietly, giving full support. Why? Because BJP will give them some power," Mamata said.
Stepping up her attack on the BJP, Mamata said the rival party "wants to polarise Bengal" to throw her out of power. She claimed that in BJP-ruled Delhi, fish and meat have been prohibited in the Bengali areas.
"If there is peace in Bengal, everything will be fine. BJP wants to polarise Bengal so that our government goes and their government comes. When they will come, they will stop your food also. See in Delhi how they have stopped fish and meat in Bengali areas... They took away the jobs of teachers and now they are saying that Mamata Banerjee should answer," Mamata was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
She futher claimed that the BJP wants to bring the UCC (Uniform Civil Code) next and that the party was "against Muslims".
"Now they want to bring UCC... You are against Muslims, but in Saudi Arabia you meet Muslims... If you go to Dubai, UAE, whose hospitality do you take there... You say one thing in your country and another thing outside," she said.
Mamata also appealed to the INDIA bloc to "stay united and fight together courageously".
"This is not a personal matter, it will affect everyone. Today, it is happening against you, tomorrow, it will be against someone else," she said.