CPI(M) polit bureau member Md Salim alleged that the BJP is not viewing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 through the lens of Pasmanda Muslim empowerment but rather from a real estate perspective.
“Just like they are monetising everything—forests, roads, railway tracks—they see huge tracts of Waqf land and want to hand them over to real estate barons. That’s why they’re targeting Waqf,” he said, explaining the party’s position at the Party Congress venue in Madurai.
Polit Bureau member @salimdotcomrade addressed the media on the third day of the #CPIM24thPartyCongress pic.twitter.com/swyycjvog2
— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) April 4, 2025
Salim, the state secretary of the CPI(M) West Bengal, added that the red party is not opposing the amendment to the Waqf provisions that existed so far not on the basis of identity politics or religion. “We are squarely blaming the government for subverting constitutional principles and fundamental rights. From a constitutional point of view, every religious denomination has the right to establish, run, and manage its own institutions. This is incorporated in the Fundamental Rights… Then why is the Muslim community being targeted?” he asked.
Salim added that it was after a long struggle post-Independence, that the establishment of Waqf Tribunals was secured. “These tribunals handle disputes, and yes, there are many disputes in Waqf matters. But now, this new Act is abolishing the Waqf Tribunal. This is a legal and constitutional issue,” he said, while adding that the BJP trying to divide the population not only on religious lines but also on caste and sub-caste lines.
The PB member said that the new Act is favouring a situation that enables snatching Waqf property and alleges that the most hit will be vulnerable sections. “So why is the government, instead of allowing Waqf to function more fruitfully… destroying the Waqf institution?” he said.
Notably, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, scrapped Section 40 of the earlier Waqf Act, which allowed the Waqf Board the 'power to decide' if a property is a Waqf property or not.
Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju called it the "most draconian" provision of the Waqf Act during the Parliament debate. When questions were raised about Section 40 of the previous Act, Salim said that even if a party was affected by it, there was legal recourse available through the Waqf Tribunal.
He added that by blunting the powers and altering the composition of Waqf-related bodies, the Union government has essentially “thrown the baby out with the bathwater.”
