Why did Union Minister Rijiju warn Zakir Naik against interfering with Waqf Amendment Bill debate?

New Delhi: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday criticised controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik for urging Indian Muslims to reject the Waqf Amendment Bill. Rijiju warned Naik against attempts to “mislead and misguide” Indian Muslims from abroad.

The Union Minister of Minority Affairs made the statement in response to Naik's provocative social media post, where he appealed to Muslims to “Save Indian Waqf properties, reject the Waqf Amendment Bill.”

In his post, Naik stated, “This is an urgent call to the Muslims in India to stop this evil which breaches the sacred status of Waqf and has evil repercussions on the future of Islamic institutions.” He also urged the Muslim community to support a mass objection to the Bill through a QR code link, asking for at least 5 million Muslims to send their rejections to the Joint Parliamentary Committee. “We will be held accountable if we do not prevent the Waqf properties from being taken away from the Ummah,” Naik added.

Rijiju strongly condemned this ‘intervention’ by Naik and his attempts to meddle in India's internal affairs. “Please do not mislead the innocent Muslims from outside our country. India is a democratic country and people have the right to their own opinion,” Rijiju responded, sharing Naik’s post. He further warned, “False propaganda will lead to wrong narratives.”

The Waqf Amendment Bill, which aims to reform the management of Waqf properties, is currently under discussion by the Joint Parliamentary Committee. The proposed changes have sparked a political divide, but Committee Chairman Jagdambika Pal emphasised that the panel is seeking to develop a Bill that benefits the poor, women, children, and the minority community as a whole. IANS