The Lok Sabha witnessed a heated exchange on 2 April 2025 as BJP MP Tejasvi Surya delivered a blistering counter to DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran’s allegations against the Waqf Amendment Bill, systematically dismantling claims of anti-minority bias with legal precision and historical evidence.
Maran, speaking against the bill, had accused the government of targeting Muslim properties while ignoring corporate debts and practicing divisive politics. He cited the BJP’s reduced seat count in Uttar Pradesh (from 71 in 2014 to 36 in 2024) as proof that its “politics of hate” had failed. He further claimed the government was systematically sidelining minorities, warning, “First Muslims, then Christians, then Dalits—soon there will be no one left.”
Exposing the ‘Constitutional Fraud’
Surya began by arguing that the Waqf laws enacted by the Congress over the decades had established an entity more powerful than the government itself. He called it,“seven decades of constitutional fraud” perpetuated by the Congress and its allies through previous Waqf laws. He cited Section 40 of the 2013 Waqf Amendment, which granted Waqf Boards unchecked power to declare any property as Waqf land based solely on “belief”—without documentation or due process. He described this as a direct assault on property rights, as affected individuals were left with no legal recourse except appealing to a Waqf tribunal, which he called a “kangaroo court.”
“Where in the world does a body get to act as prosecutor, judge, and executioner?” Surya demanded.
“This Frankenstein monster was created by the Congress, enabling land grabs with no right to appeal.” He cited cases from Karnataka where farmers lost ancestral lands overnight, linking some suicides to these seizures.
Addressing the Land Encroachment Issue
Refuting Maran’s rhetoric about Hindu land being taken away, Surya pointed to the vast land holdings under Waqf control. He highlighted the case of Karnataka, where he alleged that 15,000 acres of land in a single district had been taken over by the Waqf Board, often at the cost of farmers who had tilled the land for generations. He further argued that such unilateral powers had led to multiple farmer suicides due to sudden land encroachments.
The Discriminatory Nature of Waqf Laws
The BJP MP also dismantled the opposition’s secularism argument, highlighting Congress’ double standards—freezing Hindu claims via the 1991 Places of Worship Act while empowering Waqf Boards to appropriate land under the 1995 and 2013 amendments. “Why should Hindus, Jains, or Christians have no say in Waqf governance when their lands are at risk?” he challenged.
Calling Out Vote-Bank Politics
In response to Maran’s allegations that the government was targeting minorities, Surya turned the tables by accusing the opposition of indulging in vote-bank politics. He noted that while the 1991 Places of Worship Act prevented Hindus from reclaiming historical sites, the 1995 Waqf Act gave Waqf Boards unchecked powers to claim lands. He exposed what he called the Congress party’s double standards, stating that their version of secularism favored appeasement over true equality.
Quoting Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s poetry, Surya concluded with a civilizational rebuttal: “Hindus don’t covet others’ lands. Our ethos wins hearts, not territory.” The speech left the opposition scrambling, with AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi repeatedly interrupting before being silenced by the Speaker.
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