BJP plans Muslim outreach on new Waqf law to ‘clear doubts sown by Opp, build support’

The “Waqf Sudhar Janjagran Abhiyan” will be supervised by a four-member committee, which will list a detailed programme and outline of the campaign. A workshop for all the office bearers from the state has been convened in Lucknow on April 19 to explain the campaign in detail.

“The Waqf Amendment Bill has been passed in both the Houses of Parliament under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Now, the Opposition is spreading misconceptions about the law. Waqf Sudhar Janjagran Abhiyan would dispel the lies and confusions being created by the Opposition. We have been asked to tell how in the past the Waqf Board had illegally occupied religious places and lands of not just Pasmanda Muslims, backward classes as well as Hindus, Sikhs and Christians,” a senior party leader.

Apart from the state-level committee, separate committees will be formed at the regional, district as well as divisional levels to oversee the campaign.

The four-member state-level committee will be led by state vice-president Tiyambak Tripathi, with State Minority Morcha chief Basit Ali as its state secretary, and Shiv Bhushan Singh and Akhilesh Awasthi as co-convenors.

Sources said that the party leaders have been asked to establish contact and dialogue with influential Muslim leaders and intellectuals to discuss the amended law.

“Every MP, MLA and MLC has been asked to hold at least one meeting to discuss the Waqf amendment law to build support, clarify doubts and increase support by strengthening public perception,” a party leader said.

The Mahila Morcha, on the other hand, has been told to meet influential Muslim women and organised seminars and discussions on the issue.

“They have been asked to organise conferences at major cities inviting at least 100 influential Muslim women to send across the message. Mahila Morcha will discuss women empowerment by taking forward the Waqf amendment as a progressive women support campaign through a mass participation-based program after the Mann Ki Baat session in Muslim majority areas in each division,” a party leader said.

“The idea is to take forward the positive approach on Waqf by influential women as the new law would benefit them,” a party leader said.

The Scheduled Caste wing has been told to hold block level campaign in the tribal dominated areas and hold dialogue with influential tribal leaders to discuss how the amendments are beneficial for the deprived.

As part of the party’s Muslim outreach, meetings would be organized not just with Muslim religious leaders, scholars but also with madrasa heads in each Assembly constituency “to put forth the government’s view on Waqf reforms”.