New Delhi: Concerned over the ongoing protests in different parts of the country against the Waqf Act and Opposition onslaught that the Christian community is next on the radar of the Narendra Modi government, the BJP is set to launch a counter-offensive in which its rank and file will reach out not only to the Pasmanda Muslims but also Christians in the northeast and South India to “dispel” their apprehensions.
In this regard, BJP chief JP Nadda presided over a one-day workshop 'Waqf Sudhar Janjagaran Abhiyan' (Drive to enlighten people about waqf reforms) at the party headquarters annexe on Thursday. Nadda, minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, party general secretary RMD Agarwal and others addressed the party minority morcha heads and coordinators on the benefits of the Act and the need for passing this legislation.
Similar workshops will be held in state headquarters from April 15 to 17, followed by district-level workshops on April 19. The drive will start formally on April 20 and end on May 5.
PM Modi is expected to express his views on the Waqf Act at a programme in Haryana on April 16. He did not speak on the bill when it was discussed in Parliament.
Protests have been witnessed in different parts of the country against the Act and NDA partners are reportedly concerned about its impact on their vote base, especially in Bihar where elections are due in October-November.
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the Modi government will not stop at waqf boards and that properties related to Christian religious places will also be targeted soon.
While the thrust of BJP’s drive will be to reach out to Muslims, especially the women and backward sections like Pasmandas, the party has also decided to counter the Congress charge that Christians are next on the NDA government’s agenda. National secretary Arvind Menon will coordinate the drive in the southern states while Anil Antony, also a national secretary, will be in-charge of the exercise in the northeast, along with Bihar and West Bengal.
RMD Agarwal will be coordinating the outreach to Muslims in UP and the northern states while Jamal Siddique, head of the BJP Minority Morcha, will be in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir. BJP MPs, MLAs, central and state office-bearers, heads of various morchas, among others, will take part in the drive.
The party will also hold 'Isai Sadhbaav' (Christian Goodwill) meetings in places which have a sizable Christian population, especially in the northeast and South India to dispel any apprehensions that may have arisen due to the campaign by the Congress and other Opposition parties.
In the workshop held on Thursday, Nadda and Rijiju emphasised that the party workers should spread the message of how the Waqf Act will uplift the poorer sections of Muslims, especially the women and pasmandas or backward Muslims. The Act is aimed at removing the irregularities in management of waqf boards and properties, which form the largest land bank after the properties owned by railways and defence ministries.
The Sachar Committee report of 2006 estimated the worth of waqf properties at Rs 1.2 lakh crore that should generate an annual revenue of Rs 12,000 crore. Rijiju underlined that the Waqf Act will ensure transparency, accountability and socio-economic justice.
The BJP's drive will include door-to-door meetings in Muslim households, interactions with Muslim youth in groups, discussing the merits of the Act with women from all sections of the Muslim community and influencing the opinion makers and professionals. Social media will be used extensively and the party leaders have been directed to share memes, get vox pop, and use the digital medium to spread the BJP’s message.
In this regard, BJP chief JP Nadda presided over a one-day workshop 'Waqf Sudhar Janjagaran Abhiyan' (Drive to enlighten people about waqf reforms) at the party headquarters annexe on Thursday. Nadda, minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, party general secretary RMD Agarwal and others addressed the party minority morcha heads and coordinators on the benefits of the Act and the need for passing this legislation.
Similar workshops will be held in state headquarters from April 15 to 17, followed by district-level workshops on April 19. The drive will start formally on April 20 and end on May 5.
PM Modi is expected to express his views on the Waqf Act at a programme in Haryana on April 16. He did not speak on the bill when it was discussed in Parliament.
Protests have been witnessed in different parts of the country against the Act and NDA partners are reportedly concerned about its impact on their vote base, especially in Bihar where elections are due in October-November.
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the Modi government will not stop at waqf boards and that properties related to Christian religious places will also be targeted soon.
While the thrust of BJP’s drive will be to reach out to Muslims, especially the women and backward sections like Pasmandas, the party has also decided to counter the Congress charge that Christians are next on the NDA government’s agenda. National secretary Arvind Menon will coordinate the drive in the southern states while Anil Antony, also a national secretary, will be in-charge of the exercise in the northeast, along with Bihar and West Bengal.
RMD Agarwal will be coordinating the outreach to Muslims in UP and the northern states while Jamal Siddique, head of the BJP Minority Morcha, will be in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir. BJP MPs, MLAs, central and state office-bearers, heads of various morchas, among others, will take part in the drive.
The party will also hold 'Isai Sadhbaav' (Christian Goodwill) meetings in places which have a sizable Christian population, especially in the northeast and South India to dispel any apprehensions that may have arisen due to the campaign by the Congress and other Opposition parties.
In the workshop held on Thursday, Nadda and Rijiju emphasised that the party workers should spread the message of how the Waqf Act will uplift the poorer sections of Muslims, especially the women and pasmandas or backward Muslims. The Act is aimed at removing the irregularities in management of waqf boards and properties, which form the largest land bank after the properties owned by railways and defence ministries.
The Sachar Committee report of 2006 estimated the worth of waqf properties at Rs 1.2 lakh crore that should generate an annual revenue of Rs 12,000 crore. Rijiju underlined that the Waqf Act will ensure transparency, accountability and socio-economic justice.
The BJP's drive will include door-to-door meetings in Muslim households, interactions with Muslim youth in groups, discussing the merits of the Act with women from all sections of the Muslim community and influencing the opinion makers and professionals. Social media will be used extensively and the party leaders have been directed to share memes, get vox pop, and use the digital medium to spread the BJP’s message.
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