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TMC's Derek O’Brien slams Waqf Act: ‘It's about dignity, not just land or law’
TMC leader Derek O’Brien said in a blog post that the Constitution does not ask how much anyone belongs but ‘guarantees that we do’.
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien on Friday criticised the Waqf Act 2025, saying that if the rights of one community can be rewritten, they can be rewritten for all.
In a blog post titled “Am I Indian Enough”, the Rajya Sabha MP said the Waqf issue is not just about land or law, but about dignity. He added that the title of his blog was not merely a rhetorical question, but reflects the lived experience of millions of Indians from minority and marginalised communities.
“The Waqf Amendment Bill is not just about land or law. It is about dignity. It is a quiet burden. It is a deep suspicion cast on their belonging. Their being. Every legislation. Every policy,” he said in the blog post.
According to O’Brien, the Waqf Act violates equality, personal autonomy, and federalism. He also added that the bill violates the idea that ‘our great nation is built on’, more than anything else.
O’Brien asserted that the Constitution does not ask how much anyone belongs but ‘guarantees that we do’.
“The Waqf Amendment Bill is not merely a legislative proposal. It is a mirror. And what we see in it should disturb all of us, whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, any religion, or none. Because if rights can be rewritten for one, they can be rewritten for all,” he said.
The constitutionality of the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025
The constitutionality of the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 has been under question since the day it was introduced in the parliament in August last year. While the Central Government and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defend the law as ‘inclusive’, the opposition has constantly termed it as going ‘against’ the Constitution.
The question has come before the judiciary, with the Supreme Court hearing a batch of petitions against the law. In response to those petitions, the apex court on Thursday barred the de-notification of Waqf lands and ordered a status quo on assets and appointments until the hearing scheduled for May 5.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan also recorded the assurance of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, that no appointments in the central Waqf council and boards will be made in the meantime.
