Kiren Rijiju targets Mamata govt for refusing to implement Waqf Act

Mumbai: Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday strongly criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for refusing to implement the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 in her state, saying that a state cannot block a law passed by Parliament under the federal structure.

He told reporters, “We are working in a federation structure. If the CM of a state declares that she will not follow the Act passed by Parliament, it will only instigate protests. The West Bengal CM is fully responsible for all the violence. She can oppose, but can’t say that she will not implement the Act.”

The Union Minister said rules would be framed to ensure that Waqf properties are used for the welfare of poor Muslims.

The minister slammed the Congress and other opposition parties for running a “misinformation” campaign against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, saying that the government will “expose” them in the days to come.

“We will soon expose those who looted poor Muslims and misled them about the provisions of the law. Such elements and some politicians interested in vote bank appeasement have been spreading lies that Muslims will lose their burial grounds or mosques, and that their land will be seized. Speaking such lies is a sin,” he said.

He said the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, ensures justice, transparency and social responsibility, particularly benefiting poor Muslim families and women.

He told reporters that the legislation empowers marginalised sections of the Muslim community without interfering with religious practices.

“We will bring transparency in the transactions as the management will have to give all the documentation. Look at what they have done in Murshidabad in West Bengal. They are insulting Babasaheb Ambedkar. This kind of behaviour is damaging the nation,” said Minister Rijiju.

He alleged that those who use Muslims as a vote bank are misleading them.

He further claimed that lakhs of people from the Muslim community are thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

To a question on non-Muslims in the Waqf Board, the minister asked, “How did Azam Khan (Samajwadi Party) leader become in charge of Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh earlier? We never questioned that.”

He further alleged that the Opposition had spread misinformation that Muslims’ citizenship would be revoked under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). “Has anything like that happened, even though the CAA has been in force for more than a year?” he asked.

To a question on the National Herald case, the minister said Congress workers should realise that their funds were looted by their leaders.

Earlier, he addressed a public gathering as part of the Waqf Reform Public Awareness campaign.

–IANS