Waqf protests against Modi government, not Hindu community: AIMPLB president Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) president Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani on Sunday asserted that series of demonstrations against the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, would continue, emphasising that the 'fight' was against the Union government and not against the Hindu faith or community.
Mr. Maulana Rahmani, flanked by faith leaders from various religious communities, including Sikh and Christian, and Muslims affiliated to different sects and schools of thought, as well as politicians, was addressing a public meeting organised by the AIMPLB at the Dharna Chowk. He charged the Union government with attempting to undermine the unity of those opposing the legislation.
'Our fight is only against the Central government. It is not against our Hindu brothers. The AIMPLB is of this view, and will continue with our protests,' he said. He sought to buttress his argument by pointing out that 228 Members of Parliament had opposed the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025. These MPs, he noted, were not all Muslim, yet had voted against the Bill in the spirit of secularism and justice.
'This is a country of love, brotherhood, tolerance, and generosity. We are certain that our Hindu brothers and those who stand for justice will continue to support us,' he said. He also expressed his gratitude to members of the Sikh and Christian communities who joined the protest and spoke against the Act.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi, who shared the stage with Maulana Rahmani, pledged support for the AIMPLB's campaign against the Act. He alleged that the Waqf legislation was not intended to protect waqf properties but to ruin them. He stressed that unity among protestors was essential for the withdrawal of the Act.
'Those who think they can weaken our resolve through this law will fail. We will not give up our prayers, hijab, or waqf. We will continue our struggle within the framework of the Constitution,' Mr. Owaisi said, expressing confidence that sustained pressure would force the Modi government to withdraw the legislation.
Jaleesa Yaseen, representing the AIMPLB's women's wing, said the Act raised fundamental questions about Muslim identity and sought to strip the community of its rights. She maintained that women would stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the movement and ensure that the Act is repealed.
Shia scholar Hyder Agha; Shafiq Alam Khan Jamai from the Jamiat Ahle Hadees; Khalid Mubashir-uz-Zafar, State president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind; and Syed Akbar Nizamuddin Hussaini Saberi, member of Telangana State Waqf Board, also addressed the gathering.
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