New Delhi: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday slammed fugitive Zakir Naik for spreading false propaganda against the Centre’s Waqf Amendment Bill. Naik, a controversial Islamist preacher, is wanted in India for hate speech and his alleged involvement in money laundering activities.
In a video, Naik was seen talking about the Waqf amendment Bill and it's repercussions on Indian Muslims if the same was cleared by Parliament.
"If the Waqf amendment bill was passed by Parliament, thousands of mosques, madrasas, graveyards and lakhs of acres of land would be taken away from Muslims," Naik said in the video.
The controversial preacher also called the Modi government "anti-Islamic" and "anti-Muslim".
Naik's remarks were met with a strong reaction from Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. The minister called Naik an "anti-India character".
“This anti-India character is spewing venoms by spreading false and fake propaganda & also trying to create communal disturbances in India,” Kiren Rijiju wrote in a post on X. “We need to unitedly fight against such people.”
This anti-India character is spewing venoms by spreading false and fake propaganda & also trying to create communal disturbances in India. We need to unitedly fight against such people. https://t.co/6opLYT3ubF
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 14, 2024
This was Naik's second comment on the issue as earlier this week he had warned of the "evil repercussions" of the Waqf bill and urged his followers to submit objections to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
Also Read: Kiren Rijiju Condemns Zakir Naik’s Statement On Waqf
“Please do not mislead the innocent Muslims from outside our country. India is a democratic country and people have the right to their own opinion. False propaganda will lead to wrong narratives,” Rijiju had responded to his earlier comments.
The Waqf Amendment Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 8 and subsequently referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) following a contentious debate. The government has assured that the bill is not intended to interfere with mosques, but the opposition has condemned it as discriminatory against Muslims and an assault on the Constitution.
The JPC is now inviting feedback and recommendations from the public, NGOs, experts, stakeholders, and institutions.