‘Waqf Amendment Bill unmasked so-called secular faces’

| | Jamshedpur
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‘Waqf Amendment Bill unmasked so-called secular faces’

Monday, 07 April 2025 | PNS | Jamshedpur



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The passage of the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in both Houses of Parliament has triggered political tremors across the nation, with senior advocate Sudhir Kumar Pappu launching a sharp critique of political parties and leaders he claims have betrayed the Muslim community.

In a strongly worded statement on Saturday, Pappu said that the "so-called secular faces have now been unmasked" following the passage of the bill. He accused several leaders of double standards, alleging that their silence or support during the vote has disillusioned large sections of the Muslim population.

Pappu claimed that a wave of anger is sweeping through the Muslim community, particularly in states like Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. He pointed to reported internal unrest within Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), stating that Muslim leaders have already begun to desert the party.

“Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi will also have to face the consequences of their stance. The community feels betrayed,” Pappu asserted, adding that Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu's alignment with the BJP may also backfire politically.

Calling the bill "unconstitutional and dangerous," Pappu alleged that the Modi government is seeking to facilitate the transfer of Waqf Board properties to capitalist allies under the pretext of reform. He confirmed that the legislation has already been challenged in the Supreme Court, and a nationwide agitation is gaining momentum.

“This bill is not just a reform—it’s a plot to snatch the rights of the minority community,” he said.

The Union government has justified the bill as a move to bring transparency, accountability, and structural reforms in the functioning of waqf boards. Key provisions include the inclusion of non-Muslim members, a mechanism to resolve property disputes, and efforts to combat corruption within the boards.

However, legal experts and minority rights activists have raised red flags, particularly regarding Section 3E of the amendment.

A petition filed in the Supreme Court argues that Section 3E violates Articles 14, 15, 25, 26, and 300A of the Constitution. The section bars members of Scheduled Tribes who have embraced Islam from dedicating land as waqf. Critics argue that this discriminates based on religion and tribal status and infringes on the fundamental right to religion and property.

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