Union minister Kiren Rijiju attacked fugitive Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, accusing him of misleading Indian Muslims and spreading “false propaganda” about the government’s Waqf amendment bill.

Naik, who is wanted in India for alleged money laundering and hate speech, has spoken out against the bill. In a post on X, he warned of its “evil repercussions” and urged his followers to submit objections to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

“Please do not mislead the innocent Muslims from outside our country. India is a democratic country and people have the right to their own opinion. False propaganda will lead to wrong narratives,” replied the Union minority affairs minister.

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The Waqf amendment bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 8 and referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee after a heated debate. While the government stated that the bill does not intend to interfere with mosques, the opposition has criticised it as targeting Muslims and attacking the Constitution.

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The JPC has invited views and suggestions from the public, NGOs, experts, stakeholders, and institutions. Naik urged at least 50 lakh Indian Muslims to send their objections, warning that the bill would harm Islamic institutions and that allowing it to pass would bring “Allah’s wrath” and the curse of future generations.

“This is an urgent call to the Muslims in India to stop this evil which breaches the sacred status of waqf, and has evil repercussions on the future of Islamic institutions. We will bear Allah’s wrath and the curse of subsequent generations, if we allow this bill to pass,” the religious preacher said in the social media post.

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ASI lends support to Waqf bill at JPC meet

On Friday, the Joint parliamentary committee held meeting to examine the Waqf bill. During the meeting, officials from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) gave a presentation, and stakeholders like the Zakat Foundation of India and the Telangana Waqf Board shared their views and suggestions.

ASI asserted that over 120 of its protected monuments are claimed by different Waqf boards. The ASI also accused them of unauthorised constructions.