BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, a member of the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, has expressed serious concerns regarding the overwhelming number of submissions received on the issue. He has written to the committee chairperson, Jagdambika Pal, requesting an investigation by the Union Home Ministry into the “geographical origin” of these submissions.

Dubey alleged that the 1.25 crore submissions could be linked to “fundamentalist groups,” individuals like Zakir Naik, or foreign powers such as the ISI from Pakistan, China, or their proxies. He warned that if these entities were indeed involved, it would represent an attempt to “manipulate our legislative process,” constituting an “attack on the foundations of our parliamentary system” and should be treated as a national security concern.

The Joint Committee, which has convened 12 times since the bill’s introduction during the last Parliament session, aims to implement significant changes to the governance and regulation of waqfs. Stakeholders in the consultations include the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Union Ministries of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Archaeological Survey of India, the Zakat Foundation of India, and various state waqf boards.

In comments to The Indian Express, AIMPLB spokesperson S Q R Ilyas clarified that their campaign soliciting public opinions had garnered “5 crore” responses, with over 3.7 crore submissions sent via a QR code generated by them, while 1.3 crore opinions were received through other means like post and courier. The AIMPLB is prepared to provide documentation of these communications if the Joint Committee requests.

In his letter, Dubey emphasized the need for immediate investigation into the origins of the submissions, questioning how many originated from within India versus international sources. He noted the statistically improbable nature of such a massive response emerging organically from India alone.

He also pointed out that many submissions had identical content or slight variations, raising concerns about potential involvement from Islamic fundamentalist organizations. Dubey specifically mentioned Zakir Naik, suggesting that foreign intelligence agencies could be behind the influx of submissions, which he characterized as an unprecedented attack on Indian sovereignty and a deliberate effort to undermine parliamentary independence.

Dubey urged Pal to recommend that the Home Ministry conduct a thorough investigation and circulate the findings to ensure transparency among committee members.

The AIMPLB had initiated a QR code campaign on August 31, inviting the public to share their opinions regarding the Waqf Bill, which many see as unconstitutional, anti-minority, and divisive.

In response to Dubey’s letter, Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil criticized the BJP, accusing it of undermining democracy. Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, while declining to comment directly on the letter, noted the positive response to the committee’s outreach and indicated that the committee would consider the circumstances of the submissions before reporting its findings.

Rijiju expressed confidence that the committee would meet its deadlines for reporting before the Winter Session begins, indicating that it is functioning effectively and receiving input from a wide range of organizations.