NEW DELHI: Following extensive debates in both Houses that paved the way for the Waqf Amendment Bill, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing to launch a nationwide outreach programme 'Waqf Chetna Abhiyan' targeting Muslim-majority areas, especially those dominated by the Pasmanda Muslim community.
Leaders from the Muslim community, associated with the BJP’s Minority Morcha, are set to spearhead the campaign in the coming weeks. In more than 15 states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and others, Pasmanda Muslims constitute approximately 75–80 per cent of the country's total Muslim population. Through this initiative, the BJP aims to make significant electoral inroads within this group by introducing a range of welfare schemes.
The term Pasmanda literally refers to "those left behind in development". After considerable deliberation, the BJP intends to shift this community towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's political ideology, centred on Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas (Together, for Everyone’s Development).
The majority of Pasmanda Muslims remain among the most marginalised in various sectors, including education and the economy. In a recent conversation with this newspaper, Jamal Siddiqui, the national president of the BJP Minority Morcha, said the Waqf (Amendment) Bill passed by Parliament is designed to improve the lives of economically disadvantaged Muslims.
“Opposition parties, who have long used the Muslim population as part of their vote bank, are once again trying to mislead poor Muslims about this Bill. However, the Muslims living in marginalised conditions, both economically and educationally, can no longer be deceived,” he asserted.
The Waqf Chetna Abhiyan will be launched across poll-bound states such as Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and others with significant Pasmanda Muslim populations. Siddiqui confirmed that the BJP, through its Minority Morcha, would soon initiate the campaign nationwide, specifically targeting Muslim-majority areas.
“We will inform them about how the Bill will benefit them and help uplift their lives. We will also educate them about how the opposition, including Congress, has historically used the Muslim population as a vote bank through hollow appeasement,” he added.
Siddiqui explained that the campaign would be executed by Minority Morcha functionaries from various sections of the Muslim community. He also cited a recent initiative during Eid, where “Saughat-e-Modi” kits containing food and essentials were distributed to impoverished Muslims.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is genuinely concerned about the development of poor Muslims. He wants prosperity for everyone, regardless of their caste or creed. The Prime Minister is dedicated to lifting poor Muslims out of poverty and addressing the educational challenges they face by promoting education and providing economic empowerment. The opposition, on the other hand, has nothing in its agenda but to mislead the Muslim community for electoral gains,” he said.