Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray express concerns over BJP’s intentions with Waqf Amendment Act, targeting land of various religious communities. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
A day after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, Opposition parties and organisations representing the Muslim community have raised serious concerns about the law.
On Sunday (April 6, 2025), Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray alleged that after rolling out the Waqf law, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now eyeing the land belonging to Christians, Jains, Buddhists, and even Hindu temples, for the party’s “friends”, an apparent reference to industrialists perceived as being close to the ruling regime.
“They (the BJP) are celebrating their 45th Foundation Day today because it is Ram Navami. If they really follow Lord Ram, I suggest they behave the way Lord Ram did. Follow Lord Ram’s character and bring Ram Rajya into the country,” Mr. Thackeray said. “After bringing the Waqf law, the BJP is going to eye the land of Christians, Jains, Buddhists and even Hindu temples. They will give prime land to their friends. They have no love for any community. It is time people wake up now and open their eyes as the BJP has made it quite clear in the public about their intentions in the coming days,” he added. Mr. Thackeray was speaking at the launch of the Shiv Sanchar Sena, which will be the party’s IT and communications wing.
‘Distraction’
In Nashik, after visiting Kalaram Temple on Ram Navami, Congress State president Harshvardhan Sapkal criticised the Union Government, saying, “Inflation is sky-high, Marathi schools are shutting down, there is no employment, and yet the Central government has handed us a distraction — the Waqf Board.”
“When the British decided to set up their capital in Delhi and undertook land acquisition, it was demanded that places of worship be protected. Thus, the 1913 law for rehabilitation created the Waqf Board to ensure the security of religious sites, giving special rights to temples, mosques, and gurudwaras. The BJP is now trying to misuse the Waqf Reform Bill to seize land. But their real aim is the massive gold reserves at the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala,” he alleged.
‘Targeting church land’
In a post on X, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) leader Jitendra Awhad said that after the Muslims, the Christians would be the next to be targeted. “An article in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) mouthpiece, Organiser, has said that it is not the Waqf Board but the Catholic Church of India which is the largest landholder in the country,” he said.
The article, ‘Who has more land in India? The Catholic Church vs Waqf Board Debate’, published on April 3 said: “For many years, there has been a common belief that the Waqf Board is the second largest land owner in India after the government, however, this claim does not align with the actual data on land ownership in the country. The Catholic Church of India holds the distinction of being the largest non-governmental landowner, possessing vast tracts of land spread across the country. The article also said that the Catholic Church owns around 17.29 crore acres (7 crore hectares) of land throughout the country. Much of its land was acquired during British rule. In 1927, the British administration passed the Indian Church Act, facilitating large-scale land grants to the Church.”
In his post, Mr. Awhad said, “The Organiser article also pointed to a major contention, whether some of the land was obtained through questionable means. The article assumes significance as it came at a time when the Waqf bill, subsequently passed by both Houses of Parliament, was being debated. Organiser has opposed the constitution and Indian tricolour in 1950.”
‘Assess Waqf properties’
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam demanded that the Maharashtra government prepare a detailed report of Waqf properties in the State and those controlling them. “The Waqf Board has 23,000 properties spanning over 90,000 acres. The Maharashtra government should come out with a detailed report on Waqf property. What is the status of these properties and who is controlling them under the name of Waqf?” he asked.
“The Congress party has always used the Muslim community as a vote bank and instilled fear in them about the BJP and organisations that believe in Hindutva. The Congress leaders controlled the Waqf land in a big way. That is the reason the top Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra did not participate in discussions on the Waqf Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha as they had no interest in the matter,” he alleged.
Published – April 06, 2025 10:18 pm IST
