Many question the motives of the RSS-backed organisation and its impact on Muslim communities across the country
Mohammad bin Ismail | Clarion India
NEW DELHI – A fresh wave of controversy surrounds the newly introduced Waqf Act, with the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), a group backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), actively promoting the law. The MRM plans over 500 seminars and more than 100 awareness campaigns nationwide, aimed at defending the legislation and dispelling the widespread misconceptions that have triggered concern among the Muslim community.
At the Eid Milan event held at Raj Ghat on Monday, Indresh Kumar, the patron of MRM, outlined the plan to educate the masses about the benefits of the Waqf law. “We will organise more than 100 awareness campaigns and over 500 seminars across the country. Our goal is to eliminate the misunderstandings surrounding this law and clarify its importance for the Muslim community,” he said.
The MRM, which has long been seen as a tool of the RSS to penetrate Muslim communities, continues to raise eyebrows due to its controversial affiliations and objectives. The Eid Milan event saw prominent figures, including Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Amendment, and RSS leader Ram Lal, echoing the law’s transformative potential for Muslims.
Pal described the Waqf Amendment as a “historic step” for the community, offering an opportunity to resolve longstanding issues. He said, “This law will ensure transparency and accountability in the use of Waqf properties. It will also protect the rights of the most marginalised segments of society, ensuring justice for those who have long been excluded.”
However, many in the Muslim community view the MRM’s promotion of the Waqf legislation with skepticism, suspecting a hidden agenda behind the government’s push. Critics, including religious and political leaders, argue that the law could lead to government control over religious properties and undermine the autonomy of Muslim institutions.
Ram Lal, in his speech at the event, stressed that the Waqf Act would not only benefit Muslims but also contribute to national unity. He said, “This change will give Indian society a new direction and play an important role in implementing the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas.’ The law will help in promoting transparency and accountability, ensuring that every section of society can understand its benefits.”
Despite these assurances, numerous voices within the Muslim community remain unconvinced. A government minister stated, “In two months, it will become clear how some individuals have misused Waqf properties. There are allegations that shops have been opened on land designated for mosques and malls have been constructed on Waqf land. These are issues that need to be addressed.”
The MRM’s efforts to promote the law are seen by some as part of a broader strategy by the BJP and RSS to weaken Muslim solidarity and introduce divisions within the community. According to Mohammad Abbas (name changed), a final-year Mass Communication student at Jamia Millia Islamia, the BJP has long been using tactics to mislead Muslims. “The BJP and its followers have always been doing such things against Muslims. They may succeed with those who are unaware, but the educated community is well aware of their true intentions.”
Social activist Mohammad Faisal, from Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, echoed similar sentiments. He pointed out that this was not a new BJP tactic. “Misleading Muslims and inciting them against one another has always been their game plan. We’ve seen it before, and we see it again with the Waqf Amendment,” he said.
The BJP’s political strategy appears to be focused on winning the support of marginalised Muslims by framing the Waqf Act as a tool to uplift the underprivileged. Senior party leaders, while supporting the law, argue that it will help backward Muslims access resources that were previously monopolised by the elite. One such leader, discussing the upcoming Bihar elections, noted, “The JD(U) has supported the bill because it caters to the backward Muslims, who make up 73% of the Muslim population in Bihar.”
The Bihar elections later this year are expected to become a critical battleground, with the BJP and JD(U) attempting to portray the Waqf Act as a tool for addressing the needs of backward Muslims. Nitish Kumar’s government has emphasised that the law supports the most marginalised in the state. However, with Muslims making up 17% of Bihar’s population, and a significant portion of them being economically disadvantaged, the law has triggered a complex debate about its real intentions.
While political leaders and intellectuals aligned with the MRM championing the Waqf Amendment as a positive step, others in the Muslim community view the initiative with suspicion. Mohammad Abbas’s words resonate with many Muslims: “The common people know very well who their true friends and enemies are. Those behind the Muslim Rashtriya Manch are not true advocates of our community. They are mere pawns of the BJP and RSS.”
Despite widespread criticism, the MRM remains resolute in its push to sell the Waqf Amendment as a step toward justice and equality. Indresh Kumar, addressing the concerns, dismissed the backlash as “a misunderstanding driven by personal interests” and reaffirmed that the law is intended to strengthen the Muslim community’s self-confidence. “This law is aimed at fostering trust and cooperation within society, not to undermine anyone,” he said.
As the debates continue, it remains to be seen whether the Waqf law will truly bring about the reforms it promises or whether it will deepen divisions within society. For many Muslims, the government’s overt involvement in religious matters raises serious concerns about its long-term impact. In the coming months, the effectiveness of the law and its implementation will likely determine whether it becomes a tool for genuine social reform or another chapter in the ongoing political struggle for Muslim support in the country.
The government and its supporters may claim that the law is for the greater good, but the accusations of hypocrisy and ulterior motives will not fade away easily. The truth about this controversial piece of legislation, and its real effects on Muslim communities, will emerge in time—though it is clear that many remain wary of its potential consequences.
