TMC Minister and West Bengal Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind chief Siddiqullah Chowdhury on Tuesday warned that the Muslim community would not remain quiet if Waqf properties were taken away, alleging that the Centre’s move was being imposed unfairly.
Speaking at a press conference, he suggested that decisions made in air-conditioned offices do not reflect ground realities and questioned whether anyone could go to villages and tell people their Waqf properties no longer belonged to them. He indicated that the community did not view the Centre’s decision with trust and felt it was forcibly pushed through, Indian Express reported.
After resisting implementation of the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025 for months, the state government last week accepted the law and instructed officials to upload details of about 82,000 Waqf properties on the central portal by December 5. Referring to this shift, Chowdhury said the state government had earlier taken one view and now the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appeared to be thinking differently.
Holding the Mass Education Extension and Library Services portfolio, Chowdhury said his party would clarify its position on Waqf at a later stage, but stressed that Waqf properties were crucial and that the struggle ahead could be prolonged and challenging.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress sought to distance itself from MLA Humayun Kabir and his reported plan to lay the foundation stone for a mosque in Murshidabad on December 6, the anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992.
Chowdhury also disassociated himself from Kabir’s announcement, saying that comments made by a political leader had created confusion and anxiety. He said the party did not act impulsively and was mindful of avoiding actions that could harm people. Referring to social media claims that a “Babri Masjid” would be built in Murshidabad, he said the way the issue was being portrayed gave the impression that something explosive was being planned in Bengal on December 6.
He went on to suggest that there could be a larger conspiracy behind the controversy, adding that it would not serve the interests of the Muslim community. He stressed that a mosque was a place of worship and should not be used for political purposes.