Opposition leaders have criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his recent comments suggesting that young Muslims would not have to fix bicycle punctures for a living if Waqf properties had been genuinely utilized for the community’s benefit. The leaders condemned the wording employed by PM Modi, questioning what the prime minister has accomplished for impoverished Hindus and Muslims throughout these years.
“Modi said that if the Waqf properties were used properly, Muslim youth would not have to repair punctures. If the thinking and property of the Sangh Parivar were used in the interest of the country, Modi would not have to sell tea. What has Modi done for poor Indians – Hindus or Muslims – in the last 11 years?” asked AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP, Asaduddin Owaisi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Hisar, Haryana, on April 14, said that misuse of Waqf land in the past pushed young Muslims into fixing cycle puncture jobs. Modi’s remark basically backed the recent amendment to the laws governing the management of Waqf properties across the country.
“33 per cent of Indians are living without jobs and education. One of the major reasons for what has happened with Waqf properties is that the law and administration of Waqf was always kept weak. Modi’s Waqf amendment will weaken it even more,” Owaisi said in a post on X.
“Language like ‘Muslims fix punctures’ is used by social media trolls. If the Prime Minister is using such superficial language, then he is insulting the dignity of the post,” Congress leader and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Imran Pratapgarhi said.
“You are saying you want to do good for Muslims through the Waqf Law, but you don’t have one Muslim MP to present it in the Lok Sabha. You talk about the rights of Muslim women. You don’t have a Muslim woman member in Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha or any state Assembly,” Pratapgarhi said.
The new law amended the Waqf Act which governed the management and supervision of Waqf properties in India. The amendment introduces changes related to record maintenance, dispute resolution, and oversight mechanisms concerning Waqf properties.
