Mamata accuses BJP of bringing Waqf Amendment Act; says won't let anyone touch people's property

Malda, Dec 3 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused the BJP of introducing the contentious Waqf Amendment Act 2025 and asserted that her government would not allow "anyone to touch people’s property", adding that she does not practise religion-based politics.

Addressing a public meeting in Malda district, Banerjee accused "certain communal forces" of trying to divide people in the name of faith.

"Some are trying to incite divisions using religion. The Waqf Amendment Act was created by the BJP, not us. We did not bring this law. We passed a resolution in the Assembly against it; we moved the Supreme Court. I do not do politics over religion. I love all faiths," she said.

Her remarks come at a time when the state government's position on the Waqf Amendment Act has entered fresh ambiguity after it recently asked district magistrates to upload data on the Centre's portal, triggering renewed heat and discomfort within the ruling TMC.

In April, after violent clashes in Murshidabad's Samserganj, Suti and Dhulian, where at least three people were killed during protests against the amended law, Banerjee had assured that her government would not implement the new Act in West Bengal.

However, despite months of resistance, the state government's Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education Department recently instructed district magistrates to upload details of nearly 82,000 Waqf properties to the Centre's UMID portal by the December 6 deadline, effectively signalling acceptance of the law, and treating the exercise as a "time-bound compliance requirement" set by the Union government.

The apparent climbdown has exposed unease within the TMC.

West Bengal Minister and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Bengal president Siddiqullah Chowdhury has said "Muslims will not stay quiet if Waqf properties are taken away".

Taking a direct swipe at both the Centre and the state's reluctant compliance, he remarked, "It is very easy to speak from AC rooms. But who will go to a village and tell the people that the Waqf land is no longer theirs? This has been imposed forcefully on Muslims." Chowdhury further warned that the struggle ahead would be "long and difficult", adding that the community was watching developments closely.

His comments underline the ruling party's challenge in balancing political pressures from the Centre, legal obligations, and anxieties among sections of its core minority support base.

To compound the crisis, the AIMIM is set to hold a protest in Kolkata against the state government's decision to accept the new law after resisting it for months, sharpening competitive minority politics ahead of next year's Assembly polls.

Banerjee's strong words in Malda, a minority-heavy district, appeared aimed at addressing this churn and regaining the initiative.

"We stood with all religions and will continue to do so. We will not allow anyone to snatch away people's rights," she said, reiterating that no Waqf property would be touched under her watch.

Political observers say the episode reflects a familiar pattern in Bengal, the TMC projecting itself as the defender of minority rights, the BJP accusing it of appeasement, and smaller outfits like the AIMIM trying to exploit any perceived gaps.

With the Assembly elections barely months away and the Centre tightening compliance mechanisms on Waqf oversight, Banerjee's remarks signal another round of political shadowboxing over control, sentiment and community mobilisation, a political observer said. PTI PNT MNB