Massive rally in Kolkata against Waqf Act; Jamiat e-Ulema Hind to send memorandum to PM

Kolkata: A massive demonstration was held at Kolkata’s Ramlila Maidan on Thursday against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, with West Bengal minister and Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind state president Siddiqullah Chowdhury announcing that a memorandum bearing “one crore signatures” would be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding repeal of the law.

The protests, organised by the state unit of the Jamiat, drew large crowds from across the Muslim community, and saw participation from Christians and Sikhs as well.

“After forming the government in 2014, the BJP repealed as many as 1,159 Acts. So, revoking the Waqf (Amendment) Act is entirely possible,” Chowdhury told the gathering.

He said the organisation would collect “one crore signatures” from across the state and submit them to the prime minister, as part of a mass mobilisation campaign.

“We will go district by district, town by town, and collect signatures and submit them to PM Modi. Laws have been repealed earlier through people’s movements, and we are confident this one will be, too,” Chowdhury said.

He also announced that the Jamiat would launch a crowdfunding campaign to support the legal battle against the Act, which is set to be challenged in the Supreme Court.

Chowdhury, who is an MLA from Mangalkot in Purba Bardhaman, accused the BJP and RSS of selectively targeting the Muslim community through the new law.

Earlier this week, protests had erupted in parts of Murshidabad's Jangipur, where demonstrations turned violent following the passage of the Bill, prompting police intervention and the imposition of prohibitory orders.

Chowdhury criticised the police response and called upon protesters to remain peaceful and law-abiding.

“We will continue this movement peacefully and within the framework of the Constitution. But, we will not stop until this black law is withdrawn,” he asserted.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was passed in the Lok Sabha last week and cleared by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of Friday after a marathon debate. President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Bill soon after.

The amended law aims to regulate the administration of Waqf properties — endowments made for religious or charitable purposes — and seeks to enhance transparency in property management, improve coordination between Waqf Boards and local bodies, and safeguard heritage sites.