Why BJP pitch for Waqf reforms may find support among a section of Muslims

NEW DELHI: The Waqf Amendment Bill is all set for Parliament nod with the BJP managing to convince its allies about the benefits of backing the legislation. This even as the INDIA bloc of opposition parties have been very vocal and united in their opposition to the Bill claiming that it harms the interests of the Muslims.
If the government succeeds in getting the Bill passed - in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, it will be the second big change that the BJP would have pushed to implement in the minority community after making the practice of triple talaq illegal in 2019.
However, there is one major difference between then and now. In 2019, the BJP had absolute majority in Lok Sabha while it is now dependent on support of key allies for the survival of its government.
So, how did the BJP managed to convince its key allies, especially

Chandrababu Naidu

and Nitish Kumar, who have enjoyed considerable support of the minorities over the years?

Both Chandrababu Naidu's TDP and Nitish Kumar's JD(U) have announced to support the Bill and have issued a whip to their MPs to vote for the legislation. Earlier in the day, the JD(U) had announced that it was against retrospective implementation of the law and had hoped that the government would consider its demand.
Interestingly, there are a lot of similarities in the way the BJP has pitched for these legislations then and now.
The Triple Talaq Bill found support of many parties as it favoured the women of the community by protecting them from arbitrary divorce by men - which was a common practice over the years.
Similarly, the BJP now pitched the Waqf Amendment Bill as a reform measure that would help the poor among the Muslims, who, the party claimed, had no say in the affairs of the community.
Jagdambika Pal, chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Amendment Bill, summed up how the legislation would benefit the poor members of the community. "We’ve now prepared a 400-page amendment, which addresses the needs of the country’s minorities. This law aims to support vulnerable groups, including the poor, women, orphans, widows, and economically backward Muslims," he said.
Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju asserted that those opposing the Bill are "powerful people" who have encroached upon the Waqf properties.
The Union minister asserted that the amendment bill was in interest of poor Muslims, children and women and would ensure accountability and transparency when it comes to managing properties under the Waqf board.
BJP MP Dinesh Sharma claimed that the

Waqf Bill

was like a "dream come true" for the underprivileged Muslims.
"Waqf is like a dream come true for poor Muslims. This is going to fix their plight. This bill is going to end the corruption prevailing in Waqf and the nexus of real estate and builders. This bill will be the roadmap for the underprivileged education, employment, house, and basic needs," Sharma said.
"Government of India has made it very clear and even the committee chairman that they are not renewing the Waqf Board itself but they are only amending certain clauses and issues, which will enable the poor Muslims to have representation in the Waqf Board and women and other genders in

Muslim community

," he added.
Already, some BJP leaders have claimed that the opposition parties and some leading Muslim organisations are opposing the Waqf Bill as they fear a section of the Muslims would start voting for the saffron party.
Perhaps, the BJP hopes to once again create a divide between the rich and the poor within the community by pushing through the "reform" legislation and eventually make some electoral gains.