Srinagar: A day after the Lok Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill following a heated 12-hour debate, politicians in Jammu and Kashmir have accused the BJP of trying to disempower Muslims through the legislation. However, J&K Waqf Board president and BJP member Darakshan Andrabi has defended the bill, saying it will bring transparency and accountability.
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was among the first to oppose the bill, stating that his party’s two MPs voted against it. “For us to accept this bill is very difficult as only one religion is being targeted,” he said while inaugurating a free women’s bus service in Srinagar.
Handwara legislator Sajad Lone also voiced strong opposition, calling it an attack on the religious rights of Muslims. “The Waqf is the custodian of properties collectively owned by Muslims. This amendment is a direct assault on our faith,” he wrote on X, calling it “yet another right-wing trespass.”
Former J&K CM and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti echoed similar sentiments, alleging that the BJP has been systematically working to disempower Muslims for over a decade. “Mosques are being destroyed, graveyards encroached upon. This country belongs to Gandhi, not to an agenda of division,” she said, warning that such policies could push India toward a Myanmar-like situation.
Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari termed the bill a “direct threat to Muslim control over Waqf assets,” arguing that mandatory registration of properties with district collectors and government-appointed board members amount to undue interference in religious affairs. The Justice and Development Front (JDF), launched by former Jamaat-e-Islami members, also condemned the bill, saying it undermines Waqf institutions and opens the door for arbitrary dispossession.
In contrast, Waqf Board chairperson Darakshan Andrabi backed the amendments, asserting that they would ensure better governance of Waqf properties. “Once this bill is implemented, it will bring transparency and accountability,” she said.
