Waqf Act: BJPs Degenerated India Into An Autocratic-Tyrannical State Where Democracy Is Made Into ‘Demoncracy’

By Syed Ali Mujtaba, New Age Islam 11 April 2025 The most ludicrous part of the Waqf Act it asks Mr. Mohammad to prove that you are a Muslim. This comes clearly from the Waqf Act that requires the ‘donor’ to prove that he has been practicing Islam for at least five years. Now, who is authorized to issue such a certificate? How one’s faith can be measured and what would be its yardstick. If Mr. Mohammad does not have ID proof of his religion, who will come to his rescue? The message from the Waqf Act is blatantly clear that the Indian Muslims have to prove their religious identity. The issues surrounding the CAA and NCR are once again being hotly debated in India. What the Waqf Act intends to do is that henceforth, no Muslim in India will be allowed to make religious endowments, and if he wishes to do so, he has to give documentary evidence that he is a Muslim. The Wqaf Act hobnobs with Article 14 and Articles 25-28 of the Constitution. Equality is a fundamental principle in the Constitution, enshrined in its Preamble. Article 14 states that all people are equal before the law and have equal protection under the law. It also prohibits the state from discriminating against any person region, religion, caste, etc. Article 14 ensures that all people are treated fairly and impartially by the state. It requires that laws and actions taken by the government are fair and non-discriminatory. Article 14 protects individuals from arbitrary or discriminatory actions by the state. The phrase "equality before the law" originated in England, and "equal protection of the law" comes from the American Constitution. Article 14 also protects life and liberty, which states that no person can be deprived of their life or liberty except by the procedure established by law. The right to freedom of religion in India is guaranteed by Articles 25–28 of the Constitution. These articles are part of Part III of the Constitution, which outlines fundamental rights. Article 25 ensures freedom of conscience, guarantees the rights to practice, profess, and propagate one’s religion, subject to public order, morality, and health. Article 26 grants the right to manage religious affairs, including: Forming and maintaining institutions for religious and charitable purposes, acquiring, managing, and administering property in accordance with the law. Article 27 ensures that no one is compelled to pay taxes for the promotion of any particular religion or religious institution. Article 28 prohibits religious instruction in state-funded educational institutions These articles reflect India's commitment to religious diversity and ensure that no one is discriminated against based on their religion. When we apply the constitutional provisions on the Wqaf Act, it emerges that the BJP government is doing exactly the opposite of what the constitution professes and preaches. The BJP, by usurping power with mere 38% of the countrymen's support, is trying to regulate the religious beliefs of the Muslim community in India. The BJP's nefarious design is explicit in the Wqaf Act, and that is to reduce Indian democracy into an 80 vs 20 political template. The most important clause of the Waqf Act is that while a Hindu can be made a member of the Waqf Board, a Muslim cannot become a member of a Hindu religious trust. To add salt to the injury, the BJP has made it a law that a Sanatanist cannot contribute to the Waqf endowments, even if he gets a commandment from Lord Rama! The BJP, by piloting and passing the Waqf bill, has demonstrated how an electoral bulldozer can mow the Indian Parliament. The BJP does politics of flooring the opponent by hook or crook. The BJP cares too hoots about the constitutional values such as morality, ethics, virtue, and the core ideas of Indian civilization. The BJP, in the lust for power, has degenerated India into an autocratic-tyrannical state where democracy is made into ‘demoncracy’ and where might is always right. The only mission of the BJP is to assert Hindu supremacy over the Muslim minority community in India. The BJP, in its lust for power, is certainly pushing India into a civil war. The smell of its embers is coming from all over the country. It’s high time the majority of the people call the bluff of the BJP. They have to make a hard choice when it comes to choosing our mother India, the Constitution, or the BJP. ---- Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-politics/waqf-act-bjp-autocratic-tyrannical-democracy-demoncracy/d/135127 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism