The CPI(ML) stands firmly against the Waqf Amendment Bill and condemns this communal and anti-constitutional ploy by the Modi government. This legislation is blatantly prejudiced and constitutes a frontal attack on the Muslim community and their religious freedom as guaranteed by the Constitution. The bill is a blatant act of bigoted lawmaking.
The 2006 report of the Justice Rajindar Sachar Committee recognized waqfs as socio-religious institutions engaged in welfare activities and highlighted the need to strengthen Waqf Boards administratively with adequate financial and legal support. In stark contrast, the proposed bill seeks to encode the political ideology of Hindutva into law.
The bill is marked by the conspicuous absence of any meaningful consultation with Waqf Boards, the Waqf Council, or other relevant stakeholders. Moreover, the bill introduces a mandate requiring the inclusion of non-Muslim members in Waqf Boards—an unprecedented move under any law—which deliberately excludes Muslims from controlling their own institutions.
CPIML MPs strongly opposed the bill in Parliament, denouncing it as unconstitutional and anti-people. However, the BJP, with the support of its allies, including the JD(U), bulldozed the bill through the Lok Sabha. The CPI(ML) warns that the people of Bihar will not forget this act of betrayal by JD(U), which has once again aligned itself with the BJP’s unconstitutional attack on the Waqf Board. The people will respond.
The Modi regime continues to find new ways to target the Muslim community, subvert the Constitution, and erode the rights and liberties of all citizens. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) singled out Muslims in matters of citizenship, violating the fundamental constitutional principle of non-discrimination based on religion. The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) targeted the Muslim community under the guise of uniformity, and now, the Uttarakhand UCC has struck a severe blow to interfaith and intercaste marriages as well as the right of consenting adults to enter into live-in relationships.
Minority rights are central to Ambedkar’s vision of a democratic republic. This bill has once again exposed the BJP’s real agenda—using state power to dismantle minority rights and advance its communal-fascist aggression while erasing constitutional guarantees. The CPI(ML) demands the immediate rejection of this bill in the Rajya Sabha and urges people across the country to rise in protest against this unconstitutional move.
- Issued by the Central Committee, CPI(ML) on 3 April 2025
