Mufti calls Waqf Bill ‘deeply divisive’, seeks intervention of Nitish, Naidu

As the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill-2024 submits its report to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and the government prepares to table the bill in Parliament, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti has called on two key allies of the NDA to intervene.

In a letter to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, leader of JD(U), and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, President of the Telugu Desam Party, Mufti expressed concern that the bill comes at a time when “for the past decade, Muslims have been systematically disenfranchised, disempowered, and marginalised politically, socially and economically.”

Mufti’s letter also highlights “the utter disregard to the misgivings raised by the opposition parties in the form of dissent notes submitted to the Joint Parliamentary Committee,” adding that “the exercise of consultation seems farcical without any genuine efforts to consult the community most affected by this unconstitutional, unconscionable, and authoritarian bill.”

According to Mufti, while the bill presents itself as a reform of Waqf-owned properties, its true objective is to “undermine the very foundation of the Waqf Act: to protect and preserve properties dedicated to the social and economic upliftment of Muslims for religious and charitable purposes.” She further stated that each proposed amendment “not only contradicts the interests of the Muslim community but also constitutes a direct assault on the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.”

Mufti also condemned the bill as “a deeply divisive bill,” calling it “a clear manifestation of the majoritarianism that has fuelled bigotry and the marginalisation of Muslims since 2014.” She added, “It strikes at the heart of the very idea of India, an India that thrives on its core values of diversity, pluralism, and peaceful coexistence. The essence of Gandhi’s vision for India is being altered, undermining the secular fabric that binds this nation together.”

Acknowledging that Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu have “always been a staunch believer in our Constitution and have consistently championed the spirit of Ganga-Jamuni brotherhood,” Mufti appealed to them, saying, “Today, as key members of the NDA, you are positioned to influence this matter and halt this onslaught.”