Ranchi: Amid ongoing debate across the country over Waqf properties and the rights of the Muslim community, All India Imam Association president Maulana Muhammad Sajid Rashidi on Wednesday described the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 as historic. He called it a revolutionary step toward securing the rights of Muslims.
Addressing a press conference at the Press Club, Rashidi sharply criticized the Congress, accusing the party of exploiting Muslims merely as a vote bank for 70 years. He said the Congress failed to implement any concrete policy for the community’s education, health, employment, or protection of religious properties.
Citing the example of 250 bighas of Waqf land in Delhi, he alleged that successive Congress governments occupied this land and handed it over to friendly builders and politicians, without using it for Muslim welfare. He claimed this trend was not limited to Delhi, but also prevalent in states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Rajasthan, exposing Congress’s intent and policy failures.
He also criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, stating that her refusal to implement the Waqf law in Bengal revealed that, for her too, Muslim interests were just a tool for electoral gain. He questioned why, despite her stance, Muslims in Bengal still had to protest and endure police action.
Maulana Rashidi referred to the Sachar Committee and Ranganath Mishra reports, pointing out that both highlighted the poor socio-economic condition of Muslims, yet the Congress never implemented their recommendations. In contrast, he said, the Modi government has laid the foundation for Waqf reform based on transparency, e-governance, and accountability.
He declared that Muslims have now awakened, and must go beyond madrasa education, integrating into mainstream academics, technology, and civil services. This, he said, is only possible when their assets, particularly Waqf properties, are secured and properly utilized.
Appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said the Muslim community should be seen as a “reserve force” — a strong contributor to the nation, seeking development, not division. He urged Muslims to judge leaders by their actions, not their words: who builds schools for their children, who protects their land, and who secures their records digitally.
Rashidi concluded by saying that the Waqf Amendment Bill symbolizes not just Muslim welfare, but also societal transparency and justice. Any political party opposing it, he asserted, stands not only against Muslim interests but also against national progress.