BJP undermining religious freedom, SGPC & Christian bodies could be next target after waqfs: Punjab LoP Bajwa

Chandigarh: Punjab's leader of opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa, Thursday accused the Modi govt of a "relentless" assault on minority rights, citing the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, as a prime example. Bajwa warned that this legislation is just the beginning, suggesting that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and its institutions could be the next targets of the BJP's overreach, followed by efforts to dilute the autonomy of Christian institutions.

Bajwa said, "India was founded on the principle that the state has no religion, and citizens of all faiths have the constitutional right to manage their own affairs. However, under the current regime, India has morphed into a police state where the govt interferes in everything—from comedy to faith—undermining the secular fabric of our nation."

Addressing the amendments to the Waqf Act, Bajwa expressed deep concern over provisions that he claims threaten the Muslim community's constitutionally guaranteed rights under Article 25. The inclusion of non-Muslims in key waqf institutions, such as the Central Waqf Council and state waqf boards, along with the appointment of a non-Muslim chief executive officer, signals what he described as an unprecedented intrusion into religious autonomy. "The Modi govt claims this enhances transparency, but it is a clear attempt to erode community representation and control over waqf properties," he said.

He also highlighted the Bill's retention of the "waqf by user" status for properties registered before its enactment, arguing that it offers little reassurance. The provision requiring individuals to prove five years of practising Islam to establish a waqf, he added, arbitrarily excludes recent converts and potential donors.

Bajwa further criticised the increased govt oversight in waqf property surveys, where senior officers above the rank of district collectors are now designated as final arbiters in disputes, sidelining waqf tribunals. "By centralising decision-making within the state bureaucracy and stripping the waqf boards of their authority to declare properties as waqf, the govt is effectively seizing control of religious endowments," he said.

He pointed to the repeal of Section 107 of the 1995 Act, which previously exempted waqf properties from the Limitation Act, 1963, as a move that could legitimise encroachments through adverse possession, further jeopardising Muslim heritage.

Bajwa urged the people of Punjab and India to recognise this pattern of interference as a threat to all minority communities. "Today, it is the Waqf Act; tomorrow, it will be the SGPC, followed by Christian institutions. The Modi govt's agenda is clear: to dismantle the autonomy of religious bodies and impose a majoritarian will. We must resist this erosion of our constitutional rights and stand united against this authoritarian overreach," he said.