Mehbooba Mufti urges Nitish Kumar, Chandrababu Naidu to help stop amendments to Waqf Bill

Srinagar: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Friday said that she has written to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Andhar Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu, urging them to help stop the amendments to the Waqf Act.

"The proposed Waqf amendment bill not only violates the religious and constitutional rights of Muslims but also seeks to seize these properties by diluting the autonomy of the Waqf Act. I have written to @NitishKumar ji and @ncbn ji urging them to halt this onslaught and assault on the very idea of India," Mufti said in a post on X.

In the letter to the two BJP allies, the PDP president said the Waqf bill comes at a time when Muslims have been systematically disenfranchised, disempowered and marginalised politically, socially and economically.

"Perhaps what's most concerning is the utter disregard for the misgivings raised by the opposition parties in the form of dissent notes submitted to the joint parliamentary committee. The exercise of consultation seems farcical without any genuine efforts to consult the community most affected by this unconstitutional, unconscionable, and authoritarian bill," she said.

The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said the bill was being presented as a reform of Waqf-owned properties across the country, but its true objective is to undermine the very foundation of the Waqf Act.

"Each proposed amendment not only contradicts the interests of the Muslim community but also constitutes a direct assault on the fundamental rights guaranteed by our Constitution," she said.

"This deeply divisive bill is a clear manifestation of the majoritarianism that has fuelled bigotry and the marginalisation of Muslims since 2014. It strikes at the heart of the very idea of India—an India that thrives on its core values of diversity, pluralism, and peaceful coexistence. The essence of Gandhi’s vision for India is being altered, undermining the secular fabric that binds this nation together,” she added.

She said the two chief ministers, who are allies of the BJP, are in a position to influence the matter and halt this onslaught.

"You have always been a staunch believer in our Constitution and have consistently championed the spirit of Ganga-Jamuni brotherhood. Today, as key members of the NDA, you are uniquely positioned to influence this matter and halt this onslaught," Mufti said.

"I sincerely urge you to intervene and prevent this bill from causing damage to our national unity and communal harmony," she added.