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Deliberate misinformation, instigating statements and falsehoods: How politicians and Islamists are trying to create unrest over Waqf Amendment Bill

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen's president Asaduddin Owaisi dramatically tore the bill, comparing his gesture to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's stand against unfair laws. Interestingly, he had done the same with a copy of the CAA Bill in the lower house, earlier. "This Waqf Amendment Bill is an attack on the faith and worship of Muslims," he claimed during the latest debate.

Rukma Rathore
Image from The Hindu/Business Standard/India Today/Prabhat Khabar/The Indian Express
Image via The Hindu/Business Standard/India Today/Prabhat Khabar/The Indian Express

On 2nd April the Lok Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill after more than 12 hours of intense discussion between the opposition’s I.N.D.I. Alliance and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). It was approved with 288 votes in favor and 232 against. Now, the bill is expected to be introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 3rd April.

The bill was initially presented in Parliament last year, provoking backlash from the opposition and was later referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee, chaired by BJP MP Jagadambika Pal, for review. The JPC undertook a massive public outreach exercise that has rarely been seen before. Reportedly, the committee received a staggering 97,27,772 memoranda from citizens and organisations.

The consultations, which included prominent Muslim organisations such as Darul Uloom Deoband, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, and Jamaat factions, spanned 10 cities across India. During these visits, the Committee interacted with 25 State Waqf Boards, local civil society groups, and legal experts.

The bill has moved past its first hurdle in the lower house as it encountered intense resistance from opposition parties, Muslim leaders, and their entire ecosystem which engaged in unwarranted fear-mongering, propaganda, and incitement to provoke the second largest majority in the country.

Predictably, the development only aggravated the Opposition and their vote bank, who expressed their dissatisfaction and persisted in their unfounded accusations and rhetoric against the bill. Their efforts to prevent the bill and stall it in the Lok Sabha were unsuccessful as they relentlessly advanced their vested agenda of spreading false information.

Muslim appeasement and Opposition’s propaganda

Raebareli Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi who skipped the debate but arrived right before the voting called the bill “a weapon aimed at marginalising Muslims and usurping their personal laws and property rights.” He claimed that the BJP, RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and their partners are attacking Constitution. He added that at present, their aim is directed towards Muslims but they plan to target other communities in the future.

“The Congress party strongly opposes this legislation as it attacks the very idea of India and violates Article 25, the Right to Freedom of Religion,” he declared. It is hardly surprising that this opinion is expressed by the Gandhi scion, whose political party granted outrageous authority to the Waqf after independence. Furthermore, it is essential to note that the Waqf is not a religious institution, as pointed out by union minister Lalan Singh, but rather an organization that caters to the interests of Muslims. Therefore, there is no infringement or assault on religious freedom in any form.

Tamil Nadu’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government which earlier passed a resolution against the bill in the state assembly and demanded its withdrawal, has threatened to approach the apex court against it. “Passing the bill in such a manner, with the help of a few alliance parties, is an attack on the Constitution of India and an act of sabotaging religious harmony,” alleged Chief Minsiter MK Stalin. He, along with MLAs from the DMK and the I.N.D.I. Alliance, donned black ribbons as a form of protest. “I wish to inform the assembly that DMK will file a case in the supreme court against the bill,” Stalin announced.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s president Asaduddin Owaisi dramatically tore the bill, comparing his gesture to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s stand against unfair laws. Interestingly, he had done the same with a copy of the CAA Bill in the lower house, earlier. “This Waqf Amendment Bill is an attack on the faith and worship of Muslims,” he claimed during the latest debate.

“This bill is an attack on Muslims. The Modi government has started a war on my freedom. My mosques, my Dargahs, my Madrasas are on target. This government is not revealing the truth. This bill violates Article 14: Equal Protection. Limitations will be imposed. By doing so, the encroacher will become the owner and a non -Muslim will administrate the Waqf Board. This bill also violates Equality For Law,” he augmented the rhetoric with his unsubstantiated charges during the debate.

The sole restriction proposed by the bill pertains to the unreasonable claims of the Waqf on government, private and religious properties, including Hindu temples which does not seem to resonate well with the leader.

All India Trinamool Congress (AITC/TMC) MP Mahua Mitra declared a moral victory for the opposition, highlighting that the bill was passed with a “slim margin of just” 50 votes. “There is only a fifty vote gap difference here and you realise just how unpopular and against the mandate of the public this bill is. It is only because of the party whip and the two allies that they have managed to get through by the skin of their teeth,” she boasted.

“It is a very dark day in India’s secular democracy, where the government has brought a bill which is unfair and against the fundamental rights. The amendments are sending a very chilling effect to the Muslim community,” the politician added. She maintained that the bill sends a clear message to Muslims that “you are not an equal citizen of India, know your place, your rights are not the same as ours.” She added, “Never felt so sad, so ashamed as I did in Lok Sabha yesterday.”

Her comments are not unexpected, considering that her party leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has a history of blatant Muslim appeasement for vote bank politics quite similar to other opposition parties. “I like Muslims, no? I will go there (iftar) a hundred times. ‘Je goru dudh dei tar lathio khete hoi’ (If a cow gives milk, one has to be prepared for its kicks also),” she infamously conveyed in 2019.

Samajwadi Party MP Mohibullah Nadvi claimed, “A worse law than this has never been made for Muslims in this country.” He alleged that it has been enacted in disregard of the Constitution and added that “very serious questions will be raised in the country regarding this bill.”

Likewise, another MP of the party, Zia ur Rahman Barq wanted the bill to be withdrawn and charged that the centre has been trying to impose restrictions on the Muslim community. He declared that Muslims are not the servants but owners of the country, during the debate. He is grandson of controversial SP leader, late Shafiqur Rahman Barq, who was the former MP from Sambhal.

Malvinder Singh Kang, an MP for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), charged that the central government, dominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party, was “managing” other NDA partner parties to pass the law. “I think a few people have compromised for their personal interests as the majority of the people in the country didn’t agree with this bill. I think that the central government has been successful in managing things as the BJP doesn’t have the majority on its own. This legislation has been passed by going against the sentiments of Muslims in the country,” he insisted.

Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) head and MP Chandra Shekhar Azad claimed, “We will continue our fight against the bill and take to the streets as we did during the farmers’ protest.” He asserted that the struggle will persist until the government retracts the bill, similar to how they rescinded the three farm laws. “The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is against the Constitution and Muslims,” he added. Significantly, these protests resulted in massive violence in Delhi on 26th January 2022, Republic Day.

Interestingly, Muslim leaders, along with the opposition, anticipated that the Janata Dal (United) led by Nitish Kumar and the Telugu Desam Party headed by Chandrababu Naidu would resist the suggested changes to the Waqf Act, as they enjoy backing from the Muslim community in their respective regions. However, these expectations were not realized, leading to increased frustration among them.

AIMPLB plans to move court

Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), stated that they would contest the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in court if it is approved by the Rajya Sabha. “If this bill is passed in Rajya Sabha, we will challenge it in court. We are confident that we will get justice and relief in this matter based on constitutional facts,” he threatened.

He further mentioned, “We had hoped that JD(U) and TDP might oppose this bill as both these parties were supported by the Muslim community in their respective states. We also think that it would have been better if other parties had opposed this bill with more facts and figures. The opposition opposed and raised their objections to this bill,” but added, “The members of the Opposition voiced their opinions, but some other members should also have mentioned facts in greater detail.”

The AIMPLB has been orchestrating large demonstrations against the bill in multiple parts of the countries. It emphasised, “The Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 is a sinister conspiracy aimed at depriving Muslims of their Mosques, Eidgahs, Madrasas, Dargahs, Khanqahs, Graveyards, and charitable institutions. If this bill is passed, hundreds of Mosques, Eidgahs, Madrasas, Graveyards, and numerous charitable institutions will be taken away from us,” in a letter asking nationwide Muslims to wear black arm bands during final Friday prayers of Ramzan.

The bill was earlier referred to by the board as a “direct attack on the Muslim community” and as opening the door for the usurpation of Waqf property. We do not want the situation to worsen, but you (the government) want conflicts in every street and neighbourhood, especially over mosques and cemeteries. We want to see a developed India, but in these circumstances, our dream cannot come true,” AIMPLB general secretary Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi threatened. The board, prior to this, even warned that if the Waqf Amendment Bill were to be enacted, the entire country would transform into a situation akin to Shaheen Bagh.

Similar fear-mongering during anti-CAA protests resulted in anti-Hindu Delhi riots

The alarming fabrications and deceitful narratives are neither unexpected nor unprecedented. However, they serve as a chilling reminder of the events that transpired during the anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) rallies, which ultimately escalated into the violent attacks on Hindus in Delhi in 2020. Initially, the center faced the allegations of enacting a law rooted in religious discrimination that excluded Muslims. This situation later evolved into a narrative portraying the government’s actions as anti-Muslim, with claims suggesting that they would be removed from the country after the NRC’s (National Register of Citizens) implementation, while Hindus would be granted citizenship under the CAA.

Contrary to the lies peddled, the CAA was not about Indian citizens at all, Muslims or otherwise.

It is worth mentioning that no draft of the NRC has been released to date. The CAA specifically includes non-Muslim refugees, as they are the only group subjected to religious persecution in the three Islamic countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, as has been repeatedly demonstrated by ample evidence.

The regular process for application of citizenship and arrival into India was not changed at all. Any Muslim citizens of the above-mentioned countries can still apply for Indian citizenship under the regular laws. The CAA was only a one time measure for the non-Muslim refugees from the above-mentioned nations, who have already been living in India for years.

The truth, however, was pushed to the background as agenda reigned supreme, with political parties, Muslim leaders and their entire ecosystems repeating the same misleading information to stir unrest in the country against the Modi government, specially during the United States President, Donald Trump’s visit. They conspired for months and their nefarious desire came to fruition when Hindus faced an assault by Islamists in the national capital.

Their intention was to diminish India’s standing in the international arena and blame the central government, BJP leaders as well as Hindus for it. The actions of the opposition are steering the nation towards a scenario reminiscent of Shaheen Bagh, where public roads are seized by the Muslim community under the guise of protest, which inevitably leads to violence.

Meanwhile, the opposition parties fully endorsed these demonstrations, with their leaders frequently participating in the rallies and delivering speeches at these events. They raised slogans such as “say no to CAA,” “save our democracy” and “save our Constitution,” in the parliament. They claimed the CAA as an infringement on the Constitution and an attack on the rights of Indian Muslims, much like their response to the present bill.

Mamata Banerjee had committed to vehemently oppose the CAA if she deemed it discriminatory against specific communities in India or if it infringed upon their existing citizenship rights. She denounced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill as a “conspiracy” aimed to seize Muslim properties and polarize the community, during a protest in Kolkata. Last year, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee stated that a piece of land would be considered “Waqf property” if Muslims performed Namaz on it.

Should his outrageous statement be accepted, what umultuous outcomes could potentially follow and would it not further complicate the already precarious situation? Furthermore, would he apply it to himself as well? Such blatant remarks aimed at securing Muslim votes exacerbated an already volatile situation during the anti-CAA agitation and the approach appears to be consistent this time as well.

Further instigation to create unrest

The Aam Aadmi Party, which assumed control of the Delhi Waqf Board in 2015 and temporarily removed its authority for six months, stood in blind opposition to the Waqf Amendment Bill. Party officials asserted that the BJP-led government wanted to push the bill through forcefully. Notably, the party was also against the CAA and its national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal contended that a breakdown of law and order would ensue, which would subsequently cause a surge in thefts, robberies and rapes due to the migration of Hindus and other minorities to India.

“The Delhi Chief Minister has lost his temper after his party’s alleged corruption got exposed,” Union Home Minister Amit Shah had responded to the remark. The former even wanted to jail Pakistani minorities (Hindus and Sikhs) because they protested outside his residence while his government facilitated the Rohingya Muslims.

“CAA is divisive and based on Godse’s thought that wanted to reduce Muslims to second-class citizens. Give asylum to anyone who is persecuted but citizenship must not be based on religion or nationality. Along with NPR (National Population Register)-NRC, CAA is meant to only target Muslims, it serves no other purpose. Indians who came out on the streets to oppose CAA, NPR, NRC will have no choice but to oppose it again,” Asaduddin Owaisi reiterated the same threats and falsehoods following the notification of the CAA. His language and intentions remain unchanged with the introduction of the current bill as well.

The Samajwadi Party even pledged to provide pensions to those who protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) if they are elected to power at both the state and national levels. “If our party comes to power at the Centre and in UP, they (protesters) will be given pension as they have struggled to save the Constitution and the democracy,” Leader of the Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Ram Govind Chaudhary, declared in 2020.

Dharmendra Yadav, an MP from the Samajwadi Party, participated in a demonstration opposing the Waqf Amendment Bill last year and affirmed that his party fully supported the Muslim community, regardless of whether the issue escalates to parliament, the judiciary or public protests. Akhilesh Yadav also announced that his party will strongly oppose the bill, asserting that it aimed to deprive Muslims of their constitutional rights and confiscate their properties.

Clearly, similar to how the Citizenship Amendment Act was not directed agains the Indian Muslims, there is no indication in the provisions of the bill that the government plans to ‘take over’ Waqf property.

The OG (Original Gangster) of vote bank politics, Indian National Congress opposed the bill furiously. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, joined the student protests at India Gate against the CAA, declaring the government to be “anti-poor,” in 2019. According to her, the government wanted all Indians to queue up and prove their citizenship, just like they did during demonetisation. On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi in 2021 announced that he will not impose CAA in Assam if his party won the assembly election.

“There is a long list of laws among which five laws will be absolutely repealed. Take it from me, I am the chairman of the manifesto committee. I wrote every word of it, I know what the intention was. The CAA will be repealed, not amended. We have made it clear,” Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram asserted that the law would be struck down if I.N.D.I. Alliance is voted to power in the centre, in 2024.

During the “Bharat Bachao Rally” at Ramlila Maidan, Sonia Gandhi urged people to take to the streets in protest against the Modi administration. She emphasized that both the Congress party and the populace must be prepared to make significant sacrifices to safeguard India, declaring this moment as an “aar paar ki ladai” (the decisive battle) and encouraging individuals to be ready for any “qurbani” (sacrifice). Some victims later attributed the Delhi riots to her incendiary remarks.

In its Lok Sabha election manifesto, the DMK even vowed to restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and to refrain from implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and Uniform Civil Code if its coalition was elected to power.

The opposition effectively depicted the CAA as a grave injustice towards Muslims that needs to be eliminated and a similar narrative is currently being developed regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

Furthermore, the vile threats of Islamist leaders including Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan and Mohammad Adeeb, the chairman of the All India Muslim Civil Rights unequivocally indicate how they want to stoke violence akin to those witnessed during the anti-CAA protests.

“Kisi ke baap ki aukaat nahin ki who hamari sampati jabt kar sake (no one has the guts to take over our property). The day we come on the streets, your soul will tremble. Our youth are not cowards. We have kept our youth under control, but the day they go out of control, you won’t be able to stop them,” Khan had warned while Adeeb threatened, “You inform Jagdambika Pal that he should pass the bill, and then see what happens to him. We’ll show them consequences.”

Same game plan has been activated

The Congress, along with the Samajwadi Party, DMK, and other ‘secular’ parties have persistently described the Waqf Amendment Bill as “unconstitutional,” “anti-Muslim,” and even “anti-democracy.” Nevertheless, their objections are not supported by any credible arguments. The intense rhetoric, appeals for national protests and fear-based tactics are reminiscent of the atmosphere preceding the anti-CAA protests, which led to the anti-Hindu riots in Delhi in 2020 or the unrest that came to the fore during farmers’ protest.

The pattern of protests surrounding the anti-Waqf Amendment Bill highlights a recurring strategy that employs constitutional critique and fear to mobilize Muslims. This method pushes them to view the bill as an affront to their community and to resist it vigorously through various means, including protests, propaganda, legal avenues, and even taking to the streets.

At present, the administrative reforms proposed in the bill are being misrepresented as an infringement on the religious liberties of Muslims, despite their aim to enhance the efficiency of Waqf Boards and reduce corruption. Previously, Islamo-leftists capitalized on fears of detention centers and revocation of citizenship, while now they are invoking concerns over property confiscation and the erosion of Muslim autonomy to escalate public anger.

The political opposition to bill mirrors the reaction to the Citizenship Amendment Act. In each scenario, unfounded and malevolent narratives have been perpetrated to inflame communal discord and instigate Muslims, projecting legislative changes as a dire threat to their rights and identity. Nonetheless, the bill is on the verge of being enacted, and similar to the CAA, it will be mandatory for all citizens, irrespective of their faith, to comply with this directive.

Just like Amit Shah rightly retorted, “Who are you threatening? This bill is going to be passed by Parliament and will apply to all. The coming law will be an enactment of govt of India and every citizen will be obliged to comply with it,” when opposition benches shouted that Muslims would not accept the amendments in the Waqf Act.

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Rukma Rathore
Rukma Rathore

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