Opposition’s Struggle Against the 2024 Bill: An Ineffective Battle

New Delhi: The waqf bill of 2024 has sparked a strong protest movement, and in states where opposition parties are in power, they have started passing resolutions against it. In fact, while presenting the resolution against the amendment bill in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, the Chief Minister of the state stated that the central government is trying to make amendments that will hinder the powers of the Waqf Board, which will hurt the sentiments of Muslims, and the central government does not care about it. Salim’s actions have created another major controversy. In this context, the biggest question is whether the proposals being passed in BJP-ruled states against the bill are part of a pressure strategy. On one hand, all Muslim organizations are constantly trying to exert pressure, the movement is intensifying, and on the other hand, the Tamil Nadu government has passed the first resolution against the bill. However, the relationship between the government and Chief Minister MK Stalin is such that now it seems Stalin will go on election campaigns, and in some places, people might take this to the streets. Because in Tamil Nadu, you are passing a resolution against the amendment bill, but the question arises whether the resolution will really have any impact. It is not within your jurisdiction, so nothing will change. It is being  done just to please Muslims. Similar things happened during the CAA, where Mamata Banerjee also passed resolutions saying that the CAA will not be implemented in her state. In states where non-BJP governments are in power, such resolutions were being passed, even though everyone knows that citizenship is not a state subject. State governments cannot do anything about citizenship; they can only deal with domicile matters, but they have no authority on national laws. Similarly, when an amendment bill is presented in Parliament, it will become law, and the state government’s resolutions or laws will have no effect. This issue will only be resolved at the national level. The amendment bill will pass in Parliament, and after that, Tamil Nadu won’t be able to do much. But the important question is why this is being done. If Stalin goes out, there could be trouble, as they are passing resolutions saying Muslim rights are being taken away. In Tamil Nadu, there is a significant issue involving land grab, such as in the case of the Tiruchirapalli village, where the entire village was declared as Waqf Board property despite it being a 1500-year-old temple area. This has caused major conflicts, and the villagers are fighting a legal battle over this. Additionally, there is another issue in Madurai, where the Murugan Temple area has been claimed by Muslims, and tensions have been escalating every year during the religious processions. So, Tamil Nadu is also seeing disputes where Muslims are trying to claim land and properties, which is creating problems.

However, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, and other states are politically sensitive, especially with elections coming up in 2025. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board is protesting, and various politicians, like Lalu Yadav, Prashant Kishor, and others, are seeking Muslim votes. But after the elections, these leaders will likely move on and forget about the issues. As for the 2026 elections, there will be contests in places like West Bengal and Assam, where resolutions will likely be passed against the bill. There is intense competition among political parties to secure the Muslim vote in these areas, with leaders like Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin, and others trying to show their support for Muslims. But it’s important to note that Muslim organizations are divided and their leadership is fragmented. There are debates over who will lead the protests. The Congress party has also stated that if Muslim Personal Law Board holds a protest, their leaders will be there. In places like Patna, the Congress leaders, including Imran Masood and others, have been seen with these movements.

These protests seem to be politically motivated, with the leaders of these parties hoping to gain the Muslim vote, especially in states like West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, which will be crucial in the 2025 elections. At the same time, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not worried about the pressure from these groups, as they believe that Muslims will not vote for them regardless. In a democracy, where there are peaceful protests, the role of pressure groups like these is well understood. The BJP, in this case, is confident that these protests will not have any significant impact. The central government has the right to pass laws, and the state governments cannot overrule them.

Therefore, in the coming months, as protests intensify in different states, it will become clearer whether the opposition parties can effectively use these issues to their advantage in elections or if they will fizzle out after the political goals have been achieved.