Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks suggesting that young Muslims wouldn’t need to repair punctures for a living if Waqf properties had been used “honestly” have triggered a strong backlash from opposition leaders and critics, who accuse him of making casteist and Islamophobic remarks while diverting attention from the country’s unemployment crisis.
Speaking at the inauguration of an airport in Hisar, Haryana, Modi alleged that Waqf lands — properties meant for charitable or religious use under Islamic law — were misused by a “land mafia” and not utilized for the benefit of poor Muslims. “If Waqf properties had been used honestly, Muslim youths wouldn’t need to earn a livelihood from repairing bicycle punctures,” he said, claiming that his government’s amendment to the Waqf law will fix such issues.
Owaisi: ‘Why Did You Have to Sell Tea?’
Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi lashed out at Modi’s remarks, flipping the Prime Minister’s own origin story back at him. “If the RSS had used its ideology and resources in the country’s interest, Modi would not have had to sell tea in his childhood,” he posted on X. Owaisi said that the core reason behind problems with Waqf land lies in historically weak legislation — which Modi’s amendments would only worsen. He also questioned what the BJP government had actually done for poor people — Hindus or Muslims — in its 11 years in power.
Congress: ‘Muslims Don’t Just Fix Punctures’
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi called the Prime Minister’s comment “language of trolls,” saying such generalizations demean an entire community. “Muslims don’t just fix punctures. I can list what Muslims have built and contributed to this country,” he said, accusing the government of failing to provide jobs. “There are no jobs. That’s why people are forced to fix punctures or sell fritters.”
Pratapgarhi also questioned the BJP’s sincerity toward Muslims: “You talk about Muslim rights, but you don’t have a single Muslim MP to present the Waqf Bill in the Lok Sabha. You expelled Muslim faces like Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Shahnawaz Hussain. What is your intention?”
Supriya Shrinate: ‘What About Dalits?’
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate challenged Modi’s attack on Congress for not having a Muslim party president. “Why doesn’t your party have a Dalit Chief Minister?” she asked, also noting that the PM skipped paying tribute to BR Ambedkar at a Parliament function for his birth anniversary.
Government vs. Opposition: The Waqf Law Debate
Earlier this month, the controversial Waqf Amendment Bill passed in Parliament despite opposition resistance. Critics argue the government is eyeing Waqf properties and using the law to target Muslim institutions. The BJP insists the amendments will ensure transparent, fair management of Waqf lands and end misuse by elites.
During his speech, Modi accused the Congress of appeasement politics, claiming it only helped “some fundamentalists” while the larger Muslim community remained “uneducated and poor.”
