Massive Rally in Patna Protests Amendments to Waqf Act, Highlights Minority Concerns

Massive Rally in Patna Protests Amendments to Waqf Act, Highlights Minority Concerns
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Tens of thousands gathered at Gandhi Maidan on Sunday for a large-scale protest titled “Waqf Bachao, Samvidhan Bachao” (Save Waqf, Save Constitution), voicing strong opposition to the recently amended Waqf Act, India Clarion reported. The event drew participants from Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal, underscoring growing unease among Muslim communities about perceived infringements on their constitutional and religious rights.

Organized by Imarat-e-Sharia, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, and other Muslim organizations, the rally maintained a non-political stance, with no political leaders invited on stage. However, opposition figures including Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, and MP Pappu Yadav expressed support from outside the main platform, criticizing the BJP-led government’s approach to minority affairs.

Tejashwi Yadav condemned the government’s alleged attempts to disenfranchise marginalized groups, citing changes to Bihar’s voter list as an example. During his speech, a drone unexpectedly collided with the podium, momentarily disrupting the event but causing no injuries.

The protest focused on concerns that the amended Waqf Act grants excessive government control over Waqf properties, undermining community autonomy. Critics argue the law’s provisions allow for greater inspection and dissolution of Waqf Boards, restrict administrators’ independence, and impose documentation burdens on marginalized communities.

More than 70 petitions challenging the law are pending in the Supreme Court, which has imposed an interim stay on its implementation. Organizers called for the law’s repeal and restoration of the original framework to protect minority rights and religious institutions.