After Waqf, BJP eying land of Christians, Jains, Buddhists and Hindu temples: Uddhav Thackeray
Mumbai, Apr 6 (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday alleged that after rolling out the Waqf law, the BJP is now eying the land of Christians, Jains, Buddhists and even Hindu temples for their "friends".
NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad also made a similar accusation, citing an article in the Organiser, the mouthpiece of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Thackeray advised his former ally BJP, which is celebrating its 45th Foundation Day on Sunday, to “behave” in a way Lord Ram did.
“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,” he said.
President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was passed by Parliament earlier this week. The government says the law will usher in reforms concerning Muslim religious endowments in the country.
"They have made it public and everyone should open their eyes,” Thackeray said, referring to the Organiser article, which appears to have since been unpublished.
Thackeray was speaking during the launch of the Shiv Sanchar Sena, which will be the party’s IT and communications wing.
When asked whether Sena (UBT) will approach the court over the Waqf Bill like other opposition parties did, he replied in the negative.
Thackeray's party colleague Sanjay Raut said that in future, all Waqf land will go to the “industrialist friends” of the BJP.
Raut said the BJP should not speak on poverty and claimed that money spent by it ahead of last year’s assembly elections was equivalent to the budget of Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad claimed that after targeting Muslims, it was now the turn of the Christians in the country.
In a post on X, the MLA from Kalwa-Mumbra constituency in Thane said the RSS mouthpiece has claimed that it is not the Waqf Board but the Catholic Church of India which is the largest landholder in the country.
According to him, the article titled ‘Who has more land in India? The Catholic Church vs Waqf Board Debate’ was published on April 3.
Awhad claimed on X that the article had 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.”
The Catholic Church of India holds the distinction of being the largest non-governmental landowner, possessing vast tracts of land spread across the country, the NCP (SP) legislator said, citing the Organiser article.
As per Awhad, the article also said that the Catholic Church owns around 17.29 crore acres (7 crore hectares) of land across India.
“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 in his post, attributing it to the article.
The Organiser article also contended that whether some of the land was obtained through questionable means, he said.
The article assumes significance as it has come at a time when the Waqf Bill, passed by both Houses of Parliament, has triggered a fierce debate, he said.
“Organiser had opposed the Constitution and the Indian tricolour in 1950,” Awhad claimed, targeting the RSS-linked magazine.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
