Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday accused the BJP of planning to take control of land belonging to Christians, Jains, Buddhists, and Hindu temples after passing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
“The next step (after Waqf law) would be to eye the land of Christians, Jains, Buddhists and even Hindu temples. They will give prime land to their friends. They have no love for any community,” Thackeray said during the launch of Shiv Sanchar Sena, the party’s new IT and communication wing.
Thackeray’s remarks came a day after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which was passed by Parliament earlier this week. The government claims the new law brings in reforms related to Muslim religious endowments.
Thackeray referred to an article published in Organiser, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) mouthpiece, to support his claim. “They have made it public and everyone should open their eyes,” he said, noting that the article now appears to have been taken down.
While responding to a question on whether his party would challenge the Waqf Bill in court like some other opposition parties, Thackeray said they would not.
He also urged the BJP, which was celebrating its 45th Foundation Day on Sunday, to act in accordance with the values of Lord Ram. “Behave like Ram,” he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also echoed Thackeray’s concerns, alleging that Waqf land will eventually be handed over to the BJP’s “industrialist friends.”
“The BJP shouldn’t talk about poverty. The money they spent in last year’s elections was equal to Maharashtra’s budget,” Raut added.
Meanwhile, NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad claimed that after Muslims, Christians were the next target. In a post on X, Awhad cited the same Organiser article, which reportedly claimed that the Catholic Church is the largest non-government landowner in India—not the Waqf Board.
According to Awhad, the article titled ‘Who has more land in India? The Catholic Church vs Waqf Board Debate’, published on April 3, said: “For many years, there has been a common belief that the Waqf Board is the second largest landowner in India after the government, however, this claim does not align with the actual data on land ownership in the country.”
He further quoted the article as saying the Catholic Church owns about 17.29 crore acres (7 crore hectares) of land across the country. “Much of its land was acquired during British rule. In 1927, the British administration passed the Indian Church Act, facilitating large-scale land grants to the Church,” Awhad wrote.
He also said the article questioned whether some of this land was obtained through questionable means, and highlighted the timing of the publication, as the Waqf Bill continues to fuel political controversy.
“Organiser had opposed the Constitution and the Indian tricolour in 1950,” Awhad added, continuing his attack on the RSS-linked magazine.
(With PTI inputs)