Srinagar: The recent passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 by India’s BJP-led government has ignited significant political backlash, with opposition parties and civil society groups condemning the legislation as an attack on the Muslim community. Critics argue that the bill serves as a distraction from critical economic issues such as unemployment and inflation affecting both India and occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Kashmir Media Service reported that IIOJK Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather labeled the bill a constitutional violation, asserting it contradicts Section 25, which guarantees the Right to Religion. Speaking to reporters, Rather warned against any attempts to undermine religious freedoms, cautioning that such actions could set a dangerous precedent.

The Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), a prominent religious forum in IIOJK, expressed deep concern over the bill, viewing it as interference in Muslim religious affairs. The MMU accused India of attempting to curtail the autonomy of religious bodies.

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi criticized the bill during a meeting in New Delhi, calling it a “brazen assault” on the Constitution. She urged Congress lawmakers to challenge the BJP-led government’s strategies.

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference MP Mian Altaf Ahmad, speaking in the Lok Sabha, described the bill as a divisive measure meant to distract from the government’s economic shortcomings. He raised concerns about its implications for India’s secularism and unity.

Abdul Qayoom Wani, Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Society Forum, issued a statement opposing the bill, deeming it unconstitutional and an affront to the Muslim community’s sentiments. He argued that the bill infringes on fundamental rights.

The Kashmiri Pandit Sangarash Samiti also criticized the government’s interference in religious matters.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, speaking to media in New Delhi, echoed these sentiments, accusing the bill of disenfranchising minorities and defaming them.