SRINAGAR: Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has criticised the recently passed Waqf Bill, calling it an act of “state-sponsored dispossession” that further marginalises Muslims in India.
In a statement issued on Friday, Mehdi accused the ruling BJP of pushing the bill through Parliament without allowing space for Muslim representatives to voice their concerns. He alleged that the legislation, passed “in the dead of night,” was aimed at eroding Waqf autonomy and enabling land grabbers to claim Muslim properties.
“A party that does not have a single Muslim MP has no moral or political right to speak for Muslims,” Mehdi asserted. He added that the bill’s passage reaffirmed what he described as the BJP’s “anti-Muslim, anti-minority intent,” leaving the concerns of the community ignored and humiliated in the “temple of democracy.”
Mehdi also expressed frustration over being denied the opportunity to speak in Parliament, stating that the floor leader of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) took up all available time during both the introduction and passage of the bill. Calling this “structural marginalisation,” he said it had caused deep distress among the people he represents.
Vowing to continue his opposition to the bill, Mehdi said his fight against what he termed a “belligerent and bigoted attack on Muslims” would only grow stronger. His statement comes amid growing concerns from opposition parties and Muslim organisations over the bill’s impact on Waqf properties and community rights.
The Parliament on Friday passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, following intense debate in both Houses. The legislation now awaits the President’s assent to become law.
