India passes law restricting Muslim religious endowments, sparking outrage

Opposition condemns new law on waqf properties, calling it an attack on religious freedom and minority rights.

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) – The Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in both houses of Parliament, drawing fierce criticism from opposition leaders.

Opposition leaders call it a direct attack on India’s Muslim minority and a violation of constitutional rights.

Critics argue that the bill is part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) broader campaign to weaken Muslim institutions, seize religious properties, and erode protections for minority communities.

The legislation, which alters the management of waqf (Islamic charitable endowment) properties, has been condemned as an attempt to strip Muslims of control over their religious assets and place them under government authority.

Opposition leaders likened it to previous BJP-led policies such as the Citizenship Amendment Act and the widespread demolition of Muslim homes and businesses.

Gaurav Gogoi, a senior leader from the Indian National Congress party, denounced the bill as unconstitutional and accused the Modi government of systematically targeting minorities.

“This bill is an attack on the fundamental structure of the Indian Constitution. The government has four clear objectives with this legislation—diluting constitutional principles, vilifying minorities, dividing society, and disenfranchising Muslim communities,” Gogoi said.

He further accused the BJP of using divisive tactics against Muslims.

“This is the government’s version of divide and rule. Why is the Muslim community being vilified? While BJP leaders were pleading for mercy from the British, Muslims were fighting for India’s independence,” he added.

Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition in Parliament, warned that the bill sets a dangerous precedent.

“The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a weapon aimed at marginalizing Muslims and usurping their personal laws and property rights.

This attack on the Constitution by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), BJP, and their allies is directed at Muslims today, but it sets a precedent to target other communities in the future.

The Congress party strongly opposes this legislation as it undermines the very idea of India and violates Article 25, which guarantees the right to religious freedom,” Gandhi stated.

Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) party and a vocal critic of the Modi government, accused the BJP of waging war on Muslim identity.

“This bill is an assault on Muslims. The Modi government has launched an attack on my freedom. My mosques, my shrines, my religious schools are all under threat.

This law violates Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law. By implementing these changes, the government is allowing encroachers to become owners and ensuring that non-Muslims will oversee waqf boards. This bill dismantles legal protections for Muslims,” Owaisi said.

Mahua Moitra, a legislator from the Trinamool Congress party, expressed outrage, stating that the law strips Indian Muslims of equal citizenship.

“The waqf bill sends a clear message to Indian Muslims: ‘You are not an equal citizen. Your rights are not the same as ours.’ I have never felt so heartbroken or ashamed as I did in Parliament yesterday,” Moitra said.

Manoj Jha, a parliamentarian from the Rashtriya Janata Dal party, questioned whether the bill was designed to justify the demolition of Muslim-owned properties.

“With this bill, is the government providing legal cover for bulldozers? As a citizen, this terrifies me,” Jha said.

Congress lawmaker Imran Pratapgarhi invoked India’s post-independence history, recalling the words of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, one of the country’s founding leaders.

“In 1947, standing on the historic steps of Delhi’s Jama Masjid, Maulana Azad told Muslims, ‘This is your country. Here lie the graves of your ancestors.’ At that moment, many who had been planning to leave put down their belongings and chose to stay.

Today, in the same city, Parliament has passed a bill that forces us to prove our claim over those very same steps of Jama Masjid. The government is erasing our history and rewriting our place in this nation,” Pratapgarhi said.

The Modi government has defended the bill as an administrative measure to regulate waqf properties.

However, opposition leaders argue that it is a calculated move to strip Muslims of control over their religious institutions and further marginalize them under BJP rule.

With tensions escalating, protests and legal challenges to the bill are expected to follow in the coming days.