Kurukshetra, April 13, 2025 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi unleashed a sharp attack on the Congress Saturday, alleging it altered Waqf Board rules during its UPA tenure to “benefit itself” while side lining Muslim interests. Speaking at a Haryana election rally in Kurukshetra, Modi claimed the 2013 Waqf amendments let Congress “usurp” prime land—citing a Delhi five-star hotel plot—while promising BJP’s Waqf reforms would empower poor Muslims, not “land mafia” (NDTV).
“Congress changed Waqf rules to grab property for votes—they ate the poor’s share,” Modi said, per The Indian Express, tying it to his push for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, now under a JPC scanner. The bill, adding non-Muslims to Waqf boards, has sparked protests—Karnataka banned it, and J&K’s assembly erupted (The Hindu). Modi’s pitch: digitizing records and including Muslim women will curb elite control. Haryana, with 2.5% Muslims (Census 2011), lapped it up—cheers drowned out dissent.
Congress hit back—Mallikarjun Kharge called it “divisive fearmongering” on X, accusing BJP of dodging jobs talk (post:3). “Waqf helps mosques, not hotels—check facts,” he jabbed. Data’s murky: Waqf’s 9.4 lakh acres nationwide face 60% encroachment (Waqf Board, 2023), but no clear 2013 land grab proof surfaces (Times of India). Posts on X split—“Modi’s exposing UPA!” vs. “BJP’s communal play!”—as rallies heat up before Haryana’s May vote (The Economic Times).
This isn’t just rhetoric—it’s electoral chess. With BJP eyeing a third Haryana term, will Modi’s Waqf jab sway voters, or backfire as divisive?
