J&K Politicians Condemn Waqf Amendment Bill, Call It an Attack on Muslim Rights

Political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir have strongly opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, claiming it is an infringement on Muslim faith and an attempt to control community-owned properties.

The bill, tabled in the Lok Sabha by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, has sparked criticism from regional parties, who see it as an extension of the BJP’s broader policies against Muslims.

Peoples Conference chairman and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone called the bill a “blatant interference” in Muslim affairs.

“Waqf by definition is the custodian of properties which are collectively owned by Muslims. It is an Islamic concept. The proposed amendment by Parliament is a blatant interference in our faith aimed at divesting rightful custodians of their authority. Yet another right-wing trespass,” he wrote on X.

Waqf by definition is the custodian of properties which are collectively owned by Muslims. It is an Islamic concept.

The proposed amendment by Parliament is a blatant interference in our faith aimed at divesting rightfully custodians of their authority.

Yet another right…

— Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) April 2, 2025

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, while speaking to reporters, called the bill a “conspiracy” against Muslims.

“From the past couple of years, Muslims are being lynched, mosques are being destroyed, and graveyards are being seized. I don’t have any expectations from the BJP government,” she said.

PDP legislator Waheed Ur Rehman Para compared the bill to the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its statehood and special status.

“Just like the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, which reorganised the state into union territories, the Waqf Bill seeks to centralise authority over community properties,” Para said.

Waqf Bill mirrors J&K Reorganisation Bill, prioritizing control over community rights. Just like the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, which reorganized the state into union territories, the Waqf Bill seeks to centralize authority over community properties. #WaqfBill.

— Waheed Para (@parawahid) April 2, 2025

The proposed bill has already faced legal threats and nationwide protests from Muslim organizations, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which has vowed to challenge it in court.