The Congress party has been loudly shouting the slogan “Samvidhan Khatre Me Hai” in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election and has used this as a peg to attack the BJP-led government. Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders have repeatedly invoked this phrase during their campaigns, particularly during the recent Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha elections. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now turned the tables on the Congress on this narrative by citing the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, as well as “Babasaheb’s Samvidhan.”
The Waqf Bill promises to be a stormy debate, with the Centre on the receiving end of strident opposition from Muslim organisations and Opposition parties. PM Modi threw back at them the Constitution their leaders claimed was in jeopardy to counter their accusations and charged the latter with indulging in “appeasement politics” through legislations on Waqf properties.
Following the BJP’s stellar performance in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Modi attacked the Congress over Waqf laws and said such legislations do not figure in the Constitution framed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution. Earlier this month, the BJP accused the Congress of distributing “blank copies of the Constitution” when Rahul Gandhi-led an event themed around constitutional protection.
Modi reiterated that the Waqf law does not find a place in the constitution given by Ambedkar and charged Congress with trying to use it to build its vote bank. In the process, his remarks projected the BJP as the defender of constitutional values while the Congress compromised those principles in pursuit of power. He accused Congress of transferring properties around Delhi to the Waqf board to keep its electoral interests served.
The Waqf Amendment Bill, moved in August 2024, promises a sea change in governance and management of Waqf properties by renaming the existing Waqf Act, with adequate representations for Muslims and non-Muslims in several councils. However, the amendment has been vehemently resisted by the Congress-headed Opposition, which termed the bill against the principles of autonomy to Waqf Boards and was fraught with eroding religious freedoms.
Opposition leaders have dubbed the bill “Draconian.” It is specifically said to be a violation of Article 26 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion. In the recent Maharashtra elections, Rahul Gandhi targeted Modi over the issue, saying the Constitution was the soul of India and the Prime Minister did not know what was in it.
The Waqf Bill is being considered by JPC against unprecedented Opposition, with a record number of millions of emails received against it from concerned Muslim bodies. BJP justifies that it was essentially aimed at empowering the backward classes among Muslims, including their womenfolk.
With the commencement of the Winter Session of Parliament, the Waqf Amendment Bill is all set to become one of the tipping points between the two parties as PM Modi challenged the Congress to defend its record on minority rights and secular governance.
