Thousands gathered on the streets of Kolkata, Chennai, and Ahmedabad Friday - after weekly prayers by the Muslim community - to protest the Waqf Amendment Bill passed by Parliament this week.
Visuals from the Bengal capital showed a large crowd waving the national flag and carrying posters proclaiming 'we reject Waqf amendment' and 'Reject Waqf Bill' gathering at public meeting sites. Many of the protests, news agency ANI said, were organised by the Joint Forum for Waqf Protection
Visuals of the protests from Ahmedabad suggested a more charged atmosphere; a video shared by ANI showed police trying to forcibly remove elderly demonstrators squatting on the road. Police detained the chief of the state unit of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeem, or AIMIM, and 40 of its members.
Similar scenes were witnessed in Chennai, where actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam had announced a statewide protest. TVK workers gathered in Chennai and major cities, like Coimbatore and Tiruchirappalli, and raised slogans like 'reject the Waqf Bill' and 'do not take away Muslims' rights'.
The Tamil actor-politician - seen increasingly as a dark horse before next year's Assembly election - called the Waqf Bill "anti-democratic" and said its passage asks questions of India's secular foundation.
There was also tension in Lucknow.
Ashish Srivastava, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Lucknow) said, "We have asked everyone to make an opinion only after reading the whole bill and we are monitoring social media constantly..."
The protests in Bengal will add to the fire brewing ahead of next year's election, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee having already said she will not allow the state's Muslims to lose their lands.
Accusing the BJP of trying to divide the country, an accusation also levelled by the Congress - she declared the bill would be repealed when the new non-BJP government forms the central government.
One concern of all these protesters is that the new Waqf laws will be applied retroactively, thereby affecting existing properties. However, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told Parliament this week (and he was backed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah) it is prospective in nature.
The changes to the Waqf laws - which govern how Muslim charitable properties are governed - were cleared by Parliament after nearly 20 hours of MPs trading fiery speeches; those from opposition called it "anti-Muslim" while those from the treasury benches hailed the "historic reform".
READ | Waqf Bill Clears Lok Sabha With 288 Votes In Favour, 232 Against
The Waqf Amendment Bill - which now only needs President Droupadi Murmu's assent (a formality) to become law - first cleared the Lok Sabha by 288 votes to 232, and then the Rajya Sabha 128-95.
READ | Waqf Bill Passed By Rajya Sabha With 128 Votes For, 95 Against
Among the big changes, the revised Waqf laws mandate the nomination of two non-Muslim members to state Waqf boards and the central Waqf council. It also requires individuals making donations certify themselves as 'practicing Muslims' for at least five years previously.
These and many other concerns raised by Muslims and the opposition, including fears the centre will take over the Waqf boards, were dismissed by Mr Rijiju as he tabled the Waqf Bill in Parliament.
He insisted non-Muslims could not now interfere in Waqf Board affairs, as its management, creation, and beneficiaries would remain exclusively from the Muslim community.
The debates on the Waqf bill saw fierce jabs and bitter rhetoric from both sides.
Congress MP Sonia Gandhi called it a "brazen assault" on the Constitution and accused the BJP of seeking to keep society in a state of "permanent polarisation". At a meeting of her party's MPs, the senior Congress leader also said the bill had been "bulldozed" through the Rajya Sabha.
READ | "History Made But You Say Bulldozing": Kiren Rijiju Targets Sonia Gandhi
A furious BJP demanded she apologise. In a press conference Friday afternoon, Mr Rijiju pointed out the Rajya Sabha had debated the Waqf Bill for a record 17 hours and two minutes.
The Lok Sabha debate ran for over 12 hours.
With input from agencies
NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.
