Naqvi hits out at Tauqeer Raza over ‘call to gherao capital’, calls for reining in ‘anarchists’

New Delhi: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday blasted the Islamic cleric Tauqeer Raza over his inflammatory and provocative remarks and called for a decisive shift to bring the ‘anarchy’ surrounding the Waqf bill, within the bounds of constitutional framework.

Raza, a prominent religious leader, ignited a major controversy on Sunday with his incendiary remarks, where he urged the Muslim youths to come together and gherao the national capital for ‘arm-twisting’ the government in meeting their demands.

Addressing a gathering in Jaipur, Raza reportedly said, “kisi ke baap ki aukaat nahin ki who hamari sampati jabt kar sake (no one has the guts to take over our property),” apparently referring to issue of Waqf properties.

“The day we come on the streets, your soul will tremble. Our youth are not cowards. We have kept our youth under control, but the day they go out of control, you won’t be able to stop them,” he said.

Naqvi, speaking to IANS, responded to Raza’s remarks and emphasised the need for constitutional reform to bring an end to the “unconstitutional anarchy” surrounding the Waqf Board.

“There is a need to find a logical solution to the long-pending issue of the Waqf Board. The Waqf system should be brought under the constitutional framework. The unchecked anarchy of the system needs to be corrected through structured, legal reforms,” Naqvi said

Naqvi also criticised certain groups for boycotting the ongoing discussion and reforms in the Waqf Board.

“The people who have been boycotting this issue for a long time and spreading discord are turning it into a spectacle of division. This cannot be allowed to continue,” he added.

“If you have a genuine concern, you should present your arguments and facts to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). Creating anarchy and chaos only hampers the path to constitutional reform,” Naqvi asserted.

The comments come amid growing tensions between Muslim organisations and the government over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to overhaul the management of Waqf properties, many of which have long been managed by boards under state governments.

The bill, introduced in Lok Sabha in August 2024, has drawn fierce opposition from the Muslim groups, as they see it is an attempt to strip the community of control over their religious endowments and grant the government more power over their assets.

Meanwhile, Muslim scholars in Jaipur have also announced plans for a massive march to Delhi on November 24, just ahead of the upcoming Parliament session. The march is organised as a protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill, with leaders asserting that the bill could lead to the expropriation of Muslim community properties.

–IANS