Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju has sharply criticized controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik for urging Indian Muslims to reject the Waqf Amendment Bill, accusing him of attempting to mislead and manipulate the community from abroad.
Rijiju’s rebuke follows Naik’s provocative social media campaign, where the preacher called on Muslims to “Save Indian Waqf properties” and reject the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill. In his post, Naik described the bill as a threat to the sacred status of Waqf properties and warned of its detrimental effects on Islamic institutions.
“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,” Naik stated. He also included a QR code link for Muslims to register their objections with the Joint Parliamentary Committee, urging “at least 5 million Muslims of India” to express their disapproval of the bill.
Kiren Rijiju vehemently condemned Naik’s intervention, asserting that such actions constitute an attempt by foreign entities to interfere in Indian matters. Rijiju urged Naik to cease spreading what he termed as “false propaganda,” emphasizing that India is a democratic nation where its citizens are entitled to their own opinions.
“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 wrote, sharing Naik’s post. He warned that “false propaganda will lead to wrong narratives.”
The Waqf Amendment Bill, which seeks to introduce reforms in the management of Waqf properties, is currently under review by the Joint Parliamentary Committee. The proposed changes have sparked significant debate, with the committee, led by Chairman Jagdambika Pal, working to ensure that the bill benefits various segments of society, including the poor, women, children, and the minority community.