{"id":3730,"date":"2025-04-08T00:50:19","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T19:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=3730"},"modified":"2025-04-08T01:03:55","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T19:33:55","slug":"brazen-assault-on-muslim-rights-bengaluru-rises-against-bjps-waqf-amendment-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=3730","title":{"rendered":"“Brazen Assault on Muslim Rights”: Bengaluru Rises Against BJP’s Waqf Amendment Act"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Sangh\u2019s Land Grab? Waqf Amendment Exposes BJP\u2019s Hypocrisy on Temple Autonomy”<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Protesters Decry Sangh Parivar’s Communal Agenda as Government Tightens Grip on Muslim Institutions<\/em><\/p>\n

BENGALURU, April 7<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 In a defiant show of resistance, hundreds of citizens flooded Freedom Park today, their voices thunderous against the BJP government’s latest assault on constitutional principles\u2014the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025. Organized by\u00a0Hum Samvidhan Ke Log<\/em>, the protest saw students, lawyers, and activists unite in condemnation of what they call a “systematic dismantling of Muslim autonomy” disguised as legal reform.<\/p>\n

A Law Crafted in Bad Faith<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Act, bulldozed through Parliament despite widespread opposition, empowers the government to:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Seize control<\/strong>\u00a0of waqf properties from elected boards and hand them to BJP-appointed bureaucrats<\/li>\n
  • Impose non-Muslim members<\/strong>\u00a0on Waqf Boards\u2014a rule conspicuously absent for Hindu or Sikh trusts<\/li>\n
  • Erase “waqf by user” protections<\/strong>, jeopardizing centuries-old mosques and graveyards<\/li>\n
  • Bar ordinary Muslims<\/strong>\u00a0from creating new waqfs unless they prove five years of religious practice\u2014a hurdle nonexistent for other communities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    \"Freedom
    Freedom Park Sees Mass Protest Demanding Repeal of Waqf Act<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    “This isn’t reform\u2014it’s a land grab,” shouted 24-year-old law student Ayesha Khan, waving a dog-eared copy of the Constitution. “First they came for Article 370, then for hijabs in classrooms. Now they want to decide who manages our mosques and madrasas.”<\/p>\n

    Legal Experts Condemn “Unconstitutional Power Grab”<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Advocate B.T. Venkatesh, former Karnataka Public Prosecutor, minced no words: “The BJP has crossed a red line. This Act violates Articles 25 and 26 (right to religious freedom) and Article 14 (equality before law). It’s\u00a0Hindutva<\/em>\u00a0majoritarianism wearing a legal mask.”<\/p>\n

    Documents reveal the government ignored\u00a0over 2.3 lakh public objections<\/strong>\u00a0during committee hearings. “Not one suggestion was incorporated,” fumed activist Vinay Srinivasan. “The JPC was a sham\u2014this law was written in Nagpur, not Parliament.”<\/p>\n

    BJP’s Double Standards Exposed<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Protesters highlighted glaring hypocrisy:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • No government interference<\/strong>\u00a0in Hindu temple trusts despite rampant corruption (e.g., Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams’ \u20b95,000 crore scandals)<\/li>\n
    • No “religious practice tests”<\/strong>\u00a0for Hindu endowments<\/li>\n
    • No bureaucrats<\/strong>\u00a0overseeing Sikh gurudwara committees<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      “They scream about ‘minority appeasement’, but it’s the BJP that’s weaponizing laws to target Muslims,” said Zia Nomani of the All India Waqf Rights Forum, pointing to similar moves against madrasas in UP and Assam.<\/p>\n

      A Movement Gains Momentum<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      As dusk fell, the crowd took a pledge: to challenge the Act in courts, organize statewide\u00a0jan sunwais<\/em>\u00a0(public hearings), and expose the Sangh Parivar’s agenda. “This won’t stop at waqf boards,” warned Maria Hussain, a social worker. “Tomorrow they’ll come for churches, then Sikh gurudwaras. Today, we draw the line.”<\/p>\n

      With the 2024 election dust settling, one message rang clear: Karnataka’s civil society won’t surrender its constitutional ideals without a fight.<\/p>\n

      #RepealWaqfAct<\/strong>\u00a0trends on X as protests spread to Hyderabad and Delhi.<\/p>\n

      \n

      Why This Matters<\/strong>:
      \nThe Waqf Amendment Act isn’t just about property\u2014it’s a trial balloon for broader erosion of minority rights. If unchallenged, it sets a dangerous precedent for state control over all religious institutions.<\/p>\n

      Key Statements<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
        \n
      1. Condemnation of Government Overreach<\/strong>:
        \n“The Waqf Amendment Act is not reform\u2014it\u2019s a state-sponsored land grab targeting Muslim institutions while turning a blind eye to corruption in Hindu trusts.”<\/em><\/li>\n
      2. Constitutional Violation<\/strong>:
        \n“By imposing non-Muslim members on Waqf Boards and erasing \u2018waqf by user\u2019 protections, the BJP is shredding Articles 14, 25, and 26 of the Constitution.”<\/em><\/li>\n
      3. Call to Action<\/strong>:
        \n“This protest is just the beginning. We will fight in courts, streets, and Parliament until this communal law is repealed.”<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n

        Powerful Quotes<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
          \n
        1. Advocate B.T. Venkatesh<\/strong>:
          \n“The Act is a legal Trojan horse\u2014it smuggles in Sangh Parivar\u2019s agenda under the guise of \u2018transparency\u2019.”<\/em><\/li>\n
        2. Student Protester Ayesha Khan<\/strong>:
          \n“First our hijabs, now our mosques. When will the BJP stop policing Muslim lives?”<\/em><\/li>\n
        3. Activist Zia Nomani<\/strong>:
          \n“Why no \u2018religious practice tests\u2019 for Hindu endowments? This law reeks of apartheid.”<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n

          Q&A<\/strong><\/h3>\n

          Q: Why are protesters calling the Act unconstitutional?<\/strong>
          \nA: It violates:<\/p>\n

            \n
          • Article 14<\/strong>: Equality before law (non-Muslims imposed on Waqf Boards but not Hindu\/Sikh trusts)<\/li>\n
          • Articles 25-26<\/strong>: Right to manage religious affairs (state takeover of waqf properties)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Q: What\u2019s the \u2018waqf by user\u2019 clause, and why does its removal matter?<\/strong>
            \nA: It protected properties used for decades as mosques\/grazing yards. Its deletion opens doors to demolition or takeover.<\/p>\n

            Q: How is this different from Hindu temple trusts?<\/strong>
            \nA: Hindu trusts face zero government interference in membership or \u201creligious practice\u201d tests\u2014exposing BJP\u2019s double standards.<\/p>\n

            \n

            Short Summary<\/strong><\/h3>\n

            The\u00a0Waqf Amendment Act, 2025<\/strong>\u00a0empowers the BJP government to:<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Replace elected Waqf Boards with bureaucrats.<\/li>\n
            2. Impose non-Muslim members on boards.<\/li>\n
            3. Strip protections from historic Islamic sites.
              \nProtesters demand repeal, calling it a\u00a0communal land grab<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0constitutional betrayal<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
              \n

              Context & Background<\/strong><\/h3>\n
                \n
              • Waqf Properties<\/strong>: 8 lakh+ estates (worth \u20b91.2 lakh crore) fund Muslim schools, hospitals, and mosques.<\/li>\n
              • Timeline<\/strong>:\n
                  \n
                • 2023<\/strong>: BJP introduces bill amid opposition walkouts.<\/li>\n
                • 2025<\/strong>: Passed via voice vote; presidential assent granted despite 2.3 lakh public objections.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                • Precedent<\/strong>: Follows BJP\u2019s crackdowns on madrasas (UP), hijabs (Karnataka), and halal bans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                  \n

                  #RepealWaqfAct <\/strong>#HandsOffWaqf <\/strong>#BJPAgainstConstitution <\/strong>#SaveMinorityRights<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                  <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  “Sangh\u2019s Land Grab? Waqf Amendment Exposes BJP\u2019s Hypocrisy on Temple Autonomy” Protesters Decry Sangh Parivar’s Communal Agenda as Government Tightens Grip on Muslim Institutions BENGALURU, April 7\u00a0\u2014 In a defiant show of resistance, hundreds of citizens flooded Freedom Park today, their voices thunderous against the BJP government’s latest assault on constitutional principles\u2014the Waqf Amendment Act, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3731,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65,96],"tags":[101,137,271,668,88,667,666,134],"class_list":["post-3730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","category-politics","tag-bjp","tag-congress","tag-rss","tag-unconstitutional","tag-waqf","tag-waqf-act","tag-waqf-amendment-bill","tag-waqf-bill"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3730"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3733,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3730\/revisions\/3733"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}