At Gandhi Maidan, a Rally and a Reminder: The Many Faces of Bihar’s Waqf Debate

Paromita Das
New Delhi, 5th July: The monsoon clouds that hung over Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on June 29 seemed to echo the storm brewing beneath. That Saturday, the historic ground—once the site of freedom rallies—witnessed a different kind of gathering. The “Waqf Bachao, Dastoor Bachao” rally, led by Imarat-e-Sharia, was not just a protest against a new piece of legislation but a window into Bihar’s simmering political theatre. Beneath slogans about property rights and religious freedom, another story unfolded—one that revealed how deep the currents of vote-bank politics run in this heartland state.

A Show of Strength, A Test of Faith

Thousands assembled at the Maidan under the watchful eyes of political heavyweights. Tejashwi Yadav, with the fire of an opposition leader on the campaign trail, thundered that his party would stand “till our last breath” for the rights of Muslims. Beside him, Congress MP Pappu Yadav, AIMIM’s Akhtarul Iman and other familiar faces added their own voices, condemning what they described as the ruling BJP’s attempt to stifle autonomy and seize the assets of the Muslim community through the Waqf Amendment Act 2025.

For the uninitiated, Waqf property is not an ordinary real estate portfolio. It carries centuries of history—mosques, graveyards, schools—tied to community welfare. The new amendments, according to the Centre, are about accountability and ensuring these assets serve all, especially women. Yet, the opposition claims this is a thin veil for control, a gateway to interference in religious affairs and an attack on a community’s constitutional guarantees.

Power and Polarisation: The Real Subtext

The speeches at Gandhi Maidan made for dramatic headlines, but what do they mean for Bihar’s future? The answer lies partly in numbers. Muslims make up about 18 per cent of the state’s population. Their voting power shapes the fate of around fifty assembly seats. In the chessboard of Bihar’s politics, these numbers decide whether the RJD can revive the Muslim-Yadav coalition, whether AIMIM can turn its Seemanchal foothold into a force, and whether Congress can cling to relevance.

Yet, the contradiction is striking. Those who accuse the ruling party of dividing society on religious lines are themselves gathering crowds on a stage that makes faith the rallying cry. The language of the rally, thick with references to Sharia, the Constitution, and the heritage of Waqf, was less about reform and more about rallying an anxious electorate.

Imarat-e-Sharia and a Cleric’s Campaign

Much of the rally’s momentum came from Maulana Ahmed Wali Faisal Rahmani, head of Imarat-e-Sharia. Removed from the All India Muslim Personal Law Board for his aggressive push, he has turned the Waqf into a national cause—sending millions of emails to the Centre, demanding that centuries-old trusts be left untouched. His call resonated in Patna but left a question behind: is the Waqf Board serving the everyday Muslim, or has it become just another pawn in Bihar’s poll politics?

Rhetoric and Real Issues

What was missing at Gandhi Maidan was a conversation about what truly weighs on the mind of Bihar’s youth—jobs, industries, modern education, roads, clean water. Instead, slogans swirled around protecting a trust that many ordinary Muslims never see the benefit of. While leaders traded accusations, Asif Wasi, a local scholar, asked the bitter question that never made it to the stage: “Why does the poor Muslim not benefit from Waqf’s billions? Who is accountable for that?”

These are questions no fiery speech at Gandhi Maidan could answer. In many villages, families struggle with unemployment, low literacy, and lack of infrastructure—issues that rarely make headlines when elections come knocking.

When the BJP and JDU Hit Back

The ruling alliance in Bihar did not sit quietly. BJP leaders called the rally an “extreme form of appeasement.” Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha argued that the amendments were drafted with parliamentary oversight and Supreme Court guidance. He insisted they were about transparency, not control, and asked whether the opposition was more interested in votes than welfare.

Janata Dal (United) leaders too distanced themselves from what they called a “provocative” gathering. Nitish Kumar’s party once enjoyed considerable goodwill among Muslims, but recent years and shifting alliances have eroded that trust. The Waqf rally may further test his secular image as the 2025 election nears.

तेजस्वी यादव की गांधी मैदान रैली का असली एजेंडा अब सामने आ गया है।

मंच से अब बाबा साहेब अंबेडकर के संविधान की नहीं, बल्कि शरीया और शरीयत की बातें हो रही हैं।

क्या तेजस्वी और राहुल गांधी बिहार को संविधान नहीं, शरीयत से चलाना चाहते हैं?

देश को बाँटने वाली इस खतरनाक राजनीति का… pic.twitter.com/UBqyh90mNY

— BJP Bihar (@BJP4Bihar) June 30, 2025

A Roadblock or an Opportunity?

It is easy to see the Gandhi Maidan rally as yet another chapter in Bihar’s history of identity politics. But scratch the surface and it becomes clear that the real betrayal here is of genuine development politics. The state’s Muslims, like all communities, need more than emotional speeches—they need accountable leadership that fixes schools, builds industries, and protects rights without playing on fears.

The Waqf Amendment Act, whether good or bad, is now before the Supreme Court. Its final fate will be decided there, not in a ground full of slogans. What remains is a test for voters: will they reward those who fan insecurities, or demand answers about jobs, roads and classrooms?

A Rally, a Reminder

As the crowds at Gandhi Maidan dispersed, they left behind more questions than answers. In Bihar’s high-stakes electoral battlefield, the real fight is not just for a trust’s autonomy but for the soul of democratic politics—can it rise above communal lines and address the real aspirations of its people?

When Bihar votes next year, history will judge whether the “Waqf Bachao, Dastoor Bachao” rally was a turning point for the community’s rights—or just another chapter in the story of politics as usual.