‘Bihar will throw Act in dustbin': Tejashwi, Pappu Yadav join thousands at protest against Waqf Amendment

Indian Express

16 hours ago

Thousands of people from different parts of the country gathered at Patna's Gandhi Maidan on Sunday to take part in a protest to oppose the Waqf Amendment Act.
Several politicians, including MPs and MLAs, also attended the protest organised under the banner of Imarat-e-Shariah, a Muslim organisation active mainly in Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand.
The Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, Dipankar Bhattacharya of the CPI(ML), Rajya Sabha member Imran Pratapgarhi, and Lok Sabha member Pappu Yadav were also at the gathering, along with other MPs and MLAs from the INDIA bloc. The Congress state president also read out messages of support from Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party national president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Addressing the gathering, Tejashwi Yadav said the RJD has been opposing the Act both in Parliament and on the streets. '…When the Amendment Bill regarding Waqf came to Parliament in 2025, we strongly opposed it in both Houses. And not just that, when the JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) was formed and after the Bill was passed, our party also went to the Supreme Court against it… Whether in the House, on the streets, or in the courts, we will fight this battle everywhere…,' he said.
'Those who are in power now are on their way out… When the government of the poor comes to power, Bihar will throw this Act into the dustbin…,' he said.
Assembly elections are set to be held in Bihar later this year.
Tejashwi also alleged that attempts were being made to disenfranchise the poor and those in minority communities by making changes to the electoral rolls. 'Your land is being taken away and now they are going to take away the voting rights of the poor, backward, Dalit, extremely backward, and poor from the minority communities… The Election Commission has issued a notification that they are going to make a new list of 8 crore voters, and this new list has to be made in just 30 days… You all should stay alert, be careful that no one's name is removed from the voter list, this is a big conspiracy. After the voter list, they will remove names from the pension list as well,' he claimed.
Pappu Yadav made similar allegations, saying, 'By taking away the voting rights of 4.7 crore poor people through the Election Commission, they (NDA) want to contest elections in Bihar… This is a proxy war… Within one month, they want to make those 4.7 crore people (of Bihar) who are outside, homeless.'
Maulana Faisal Rahmani, the head of Imarat-e-Shariah, described the protest as a milestone and not a conclusion. 'This movement will continue until the Waqf Act is withdrawn,' he said. He criticised the Act as unconstitutional and anti-minority, citing alleged violations of Articles 13, 14, 25, 26, and 300A of the Constitution as well as Supreme Court judgments. 'We accept the 1995 Waqf law. But these amendments are nothing but a bid to take away our places of worship and heritage buildings. This law undermines the spirit of brotherhood in the country,' Rahmani had told The Indian Express.
The voices from the crowd echoed the voices on the stage. Under the scorching sun, thousands of people, both old and young, packed the Gandhi Maidan.
A man from Madhubani, holding both the Tricolour and a black-and-white Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind flag, said on the condition of anonymity, 'There has been a consistent pattern of anti-Muslim actions, starting with NRC and continuing with Triple Talaq and now with Waqf. This law is an attack on Shariat, but we want to proceed peacefully. We are here for that reason.'
'Our mosques, schools, and lands are all under Waqf for our protection… All religions are treated equally under the Constitution. So why are we being divided by the government?' an elderly attendee asked.