Nitish, Naidu should intervene to stop ‘onslaught on Muslims’: Mehbooba Mufti on Waqf Bill

Mehbooba Mufti urges Nitish Kumar and N. Chandrababu Naidu to oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, calling it an "onslaught on Muslims."

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, in a letter on Friday (January 31, 2025), urged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu to oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which she said was an “onslaught on Muslims”.

“You have always been a staunch believer in our Constitution and have consistently championed the spirit of Ganga-Jamuni brotherhood. Today, as key members of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), you are uniquely positioned to influence this matter and halt this onslaught. I urge you to intervene and prevent this Bill from causing damage to our national unity and communal harmony,” Ms. Mufti said, in the letter.

Ms. Mufti, who is president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the proposed Waqf Bill comes at a time when Muslims are systematically disenfranchised, disempowered, and marginalised politically, socially, and economically.

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“Perhaps what’s most concerning is the utter disregard to the misgivings raised by the Opposition parties in the form of dissent notes submitted to the joint parliamentary committee (JPC). The exercise of consultation seems farcical without any genuine efforts to consult the community most affected by this unconstitutional, unconscionable, and authoritarian bill,” Ms. Mufti said.

She claimed each proposed amendment in the Bill “not only contradicts the interests of the Muslim community but also constitutes a direct assault on the fundamental rights guaranteed by our Constitution”.

“This deeply divisive Bill is a clear manifestation of the majoritarianism that has fuelled bigotry and the marginalisation of Muslims since 2014. It strikes at the heart of the very idea of India, an India that thrives on its core values of diversity, pluralism, and peaceful coexistence,” the letter reads.