Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 31: Mehbooba Mufti, President of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and former Chief Minister, has appealed to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader N. Chandrababu Naidu to oppose the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill.
In a letter posted on her social media platforms, Mufti expressed her strong disapproval of the bill, labeling it as “unconstitutional, unconscionable, and authoritarian.”
She argued that the amendments threaten the primary intent of the Waqf Act, which is to protect properties designated for religious and charitable purposes within the Muslim faith.
“This bill emerges at a time when, for the last decade, Muslims have faced systematic disenfranchisement, disempowerment, and marginalization on political, social, and economic fronts,” Mehbooba noted, stressing the wider ramifications of these proposed reforms.
While criticizing the Government’s legislative approach, she accused it of neglecting opposition perspectives and dismissed the parliamentary consultation as a mere “farce” that lacked authentic engagement with the affected communities.
She further warned that the proposed bill represents “a direct attack on the Fundamental Rights enshrined in our Constitution” and embodies a “majoritarianism that has incited bigotry and the sidelining of Muslims since 2014.”
Citing Mahatma Gandhi’s vision for an inclusive nation, the PDP president cautioned that the proposed legislation “endangers the secular framework of our society.”
In her address to Kumar and Naidu — significant allies within the NDA — she urged them to use their influence to thwart the bill, warning that its approval could “jeopardize national unity and communal peace.”
