Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday appealed to the Muslim community not to allow themselves to be used as a vote bank by the Congress and Left parties, warning that doing so reduces their value to mere political leverage.
Speaking at a press conference in Kochi, Rijiju stressed the importance of moving beyond identity politics. “I’m telling our Muslim brothers and sisters — don’t become the vote bank of the Congress Party and the Communists. Once you become a vote bank, you will be treated like a commodity,” he said.
He also urged the Congress and the United Democratic Front (UDF) to stop engaging in “vote bank politics” and support the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Bill. “I appealed to them in Parliament to support the bill. This isn’t about targeting a community — it’s about ensuring justice and protecting the rights of landowners,” Rijiju explained.
Clarifying the intent behind the amendments, Rijiju noted that the law aims to prevent arbitrary land grabs under the guise of Waqf declarations. “Land is precious. No one should be allowed to unilaterally declare someone else’s land as Waqf property,” he said.
Citing the Munambam case in Kerala, where 404 acres of land used by over 600 fishermen were suddenly declared Waqf property, Rijiju said, “Such incidents are a tragedy. We saw the injustice, and that’s why the Modi government amended the law — to stop such arbitrary declarations.”
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was introduced in both Houses of Parliament earlier this month and received presidential assent on April 5, officially becoming law. Rijiju emphasized that India has the largest number of Waqf properties in the world and reforms were necessary to ensure transparency and protect citizens’ rights.
“This is not anti-Muslim,” he asserted. “This is about correcting historical wrongs and safeguarding people’s land.”
