With party president JP Nadda and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju speaking to its delegates on Thursday, the BJP will begin a two-week public awareness campaign, targeted specifically at Muslims, on April 20 to highlight the advantages of the Waqf (Amendment) Act and address criticism of it from the opposition. Nadda accused the opposition parties of deceiving Muslims about the terms of the modified law as part of their vote-bank politics, while BJP office-bearers from all over the nation attended a workshop held here.
According to party insiders, he was adamant that the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to include women and 'pasmanda (backward)' Muslims in the Waqf's welfare initiatives and management through open and effective property management.
Participants in the daylong training included members of Waqf boards from states where the BJP is in power as well as members of the party's organization, including its minority branch.
The new law, which went into effect on April 8, will help use Waqf properties for the benefit of poor Muslims and women, according to Nadda. It will also release these assets from the grip of a small but powerful group of people and make them available for the general benefit of the minority population.
Rijiju and the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party denied the charge that the bill infringed upon Muslims' freedom to conduct their religious matters.
They said that the non-Muslims' position on the Waqf Council and boards has nothing to do with religion and is solely related to property administration.
'FAQ' sheets, including in Urdu, had been prepared to counter the criticism of the Act by various Muslim bodies and opposition parties, which labeled it unconstitutional and an infringement on Muslims' rights, the sources said, adding that the party is looking to hold meetings and press conferences with members of Muslim society.
Among the leaders tasked with leading the campaign, which will run until May 5, are BJP national secretary Radha Mohan Das Agrawal and its minority wing president Jamal Siddiqui, according to the sources.
Leaders of various opposition parties and a number of Muslim organizations have appealed the law's constitutionality to the Supreme Court, which will consider the case on April 16.
