CHANDIGARH: The Leader of Opposition in Punjab, Partap Singh Bajwa, today issued a stern warning against the Modi government’s relentless assault on minority rights, exemplified by the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Bajwa cautioned that this is merely the beginning, with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and its institutions likely to be the next targets of the BJP’s overreach, followed by a dilution of the autonomy of Christian institutions.
“India was founded on the principle that the state has no religion, and citizens of all faiths have the constitutional right to manage their own affairs. However, under the current regime, India has morphed into a police state where the government interferes in everything—from comedy to faith—undermining the secular fabric of our nation, ” Bajwa stated.
Addressing the amendments to the Waqf Act, Bajwa expressed deep concern over provisions that threaten the Muslim community’s constitutionally guaranteed rights under Article 25. The inclusion of non-Muslims in key waqf institutions, such as the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards, alongside the appointment of a non-Muslim Chief Executive Officer, signals an unprecedented intrusion into religious autonomy. “The Modi government claims this enhances transparency, but it is a clear attempt to erode community representation and control over waqf properties, ” he remarked. The revised Bill’s retention of “waqf by user” status for properties registered before its enactment offers little comfort, as the provision mandating individuals to prove five years of practicing Islam to establish a waqf arbitrarily excludes recent converts and potential donors.
Bajwa also criticized the increased government oversight in waqf property surveys, where senior officers above the rank of district collectors are now designated as final arbiters in disputes, sidelining waqf tribunals. “By centralizing decision-making within the state bureaucracy and stripping the Waqf Boards of their authority to declare properties as waqf, the government is effectively seizing control of religious endowments, ” he said. He pointed to the repeal of Section 107 of the 1995 Act, which previously exempted waqf properties from the Limitation Act, 1963, as a move that could legitimize encroachments through adverse possession, further jeopardizing Muslim heritage.
The Leader of Opposition highlighted the mandatory registration of waqf properties on a centralized portal within six months, with limited flexibility for extensions, as another bureaucratic hurdle designed to disenfranchise custodians. “This is not reform; it is a systematic effort to rob Muslims of their waqf properties under the guise of modernization, ” Bajwa asserted, echoing concerns raised by opposition leaders. He also noted that the provision allowing judicial review by High Courts, while appearing progressive, is undermined by restrictions on legal recourse unless properties are registered within the stipulated timeframe.
Bajwa urged the people of Punjab and India to recognize this pattern of interference as a threat to all minority communities. “Today, it is the Waqf Act; tomorrow, it will be the SGPC, followed by Christian institutions. The Modi government’s agenda is clear: to dismantle the autonomy of religious bodies and impose a majoritarian will. We must resist this erosion of our constitutional rights and stand united against this authoritarian overreach, ” he concluded.