BJP MP Nishikant Dubey calls for scrapping Articles 26-29 after Pahalgam terror attack
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New Delhi: A day after a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam claimed 26 lives, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey stirred fresh controversy by calling for the repeal of constitutional provisions that protect religious and cultural rights of minorities.
In a post on social media platform X, Dubey questioned the relevance of Articles 26 to 29 of the Indian Constitution. These articles safeguard the rights of religious denominations and minorities, including the freedom to manage religious affairs and the right to conserve distinct languages and cultures.
Dubey wrote, “When the country was divided in the name of Hindus and Muslims, then those who made Hindus second-class citizens by giving more rights to Muslims in the name of minority just for vote bank should tell today on the incident of Pahalgam whether today’s murder was done on the basis of religion or not?”
He further targeted secular leaders, stating, “Shame on secular leaders. Pakistan-occupied Kashmir will be ours. Have patience, this is Modi’s government, whose Home Minister is Amit Shah ji. It is time to end Articles 26 to 29 of the Constitution.”
The constitutional articles in question are:
Article 26: Freedom to manage religious affairs.
Article 27: Freedom from payment of taxes for promotion of any religion.
Article 28: Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions.
Article 29: Protection of interests of minorities.
Dubey’s latest remarks come close on the heels of his controversial statements against the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna. He had earlier accused the Chief Justice of being responsible for "all civil wars in the country", prompting BJP president J.P. Nadda to distance the party from his comments and urge leaders to refrain from attacking the judiciary. Despite the warning, Dubey has continued his criticism, questioning the appointments of past Chief Justices under Congress-led governments.
The comments come amid national outrage over the 22 April Pahalgam attack, in which a group of four terrorists—two of them locals—believed to be affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), opened fire on tourists. Reports suggest they targeted Hindu pilgrims, using AK-47 rifles with steel-tipped bullets and wearing body cameras to document the assault.
Following the incident, protests erupted in Jammu led by the BJP and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), demanding strong retaliation against Pakistan.
Former BJP J&K unit president Ravinder Raina, addressing the media in Jammu, condemned the attack, stating, “The Pahalgam terrorist attack is a murder of humanity. Kashmir has been bled, and Pakistan and these terrorists will have to pay a heavy price for this crime… The blood of innocents that has been shed in Pahalgam in Kashmir will be avenged.”
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Fact Check: Viral claim on Sachar Commission proposals, Owaisi’s demand of implementation is false
Mangaluru: A viral message widely circulating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms makes several sensational and misleading claims about the Sachar Commission, a committee formed in 2005 by the UPA government to study the condition of Muslims in India.
The message begins by stating that AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi often demands the implementation of the Sachar Commission report in his public speeches. It then questions the intent behind the report and falsely claims that it suggested extreme benefits for Muslims, such as counting one Muslim vote as two, reserving 40% of legislative seats, and allocating 20% of India’s budget to Muslims.
It concludes by praising the BJP for stopping the implementation of this report and warns that had it been implemented, India would have been “turned into a Taliban-style state”.
But is there any truth in these claims? Let’s verify.
What the Viral Message Claims
The message says: Asaduddin Owaisi frequently demands the implementation of the Sachar Commission report.
The Congress-led UPA government formed the Commission in 2005 to favour Muslims and divide the country.
The Commission made 10 shocking recommendations, including:
Double voting rights for Muslims.
Inclusion of Muslims in OBC, SC, and ST quotas.
Allocation of 20% of India’s total budget for Muslims.
Free education for Muslims in IITs, IIMs, and MBBS.
Recognition of Madrasa degrees for IAS and judiciary jobs.
Reservation of 30–40% of Parliament and Assembly seats for Muslims.
50% government jobs for Muslims.
Cash benefits up to Rs 10 lakh for Muslim youth.
Reserved constituencies for Muslims in areas where they are above 25%.
Reality Check: What Was the Sachar Commission?
The Sachar Committee (formally called the Prime Minister’s High-Level Committee) was established in March 2005 under the leadership of Justice Rajinder Sachar, a former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court. It was commissioned by the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government, with support from Sonia Gandhi, to study the social, economic and educational condition of Muslims in India.
It was not a policy-making body. It only studied data and submitted a report in 2006 that highlighted the marginalisation of Muslims in various sectors.
The report included recommendations to improve inclusion, but none of the exaggerated and communal claims made in the viral message were part of the actual report.
Fact-Checking the Main Claims
Claim 1: Owaisi demands implementation of Sachar Commission
Partially True.
Asaduddin Owaisi has, on several occasions, asked the government to act on the findings of the Sachar Committee, especially regarding Muslim backwardness in education and employment. However, he has never demanded double voting rights or unconstitutional benefits. The viral message misrepresents his position by linking him to fake recommendations.
Claim 2: Muslim vote should count as two votes
False.
This is a completely fabricated claim. The Sachar Commission report makes no mention of altering the value of votes based on religion.
Claim 3: Reservation of 30–40% of seats for Muslims
False.
The report never recommended political reservations based on religion. It simply pointed out that Muslims are underrepresented in politics and governance.
Claim 4: 20% of national budget for Muslims
False.
No such recommendation exists. The Commission only advised that existing development schemes should better include all backward communities, including Muslims.
Claim 5: Free education in elite institutions
False.
The report focused on universal access to primary and secondary education. It did not propose religion-based free seats in IITs, IIMs or MBBS.
Claim 6: Madrasa degrees should be valid for IAS or judiciary
Misleading.
The Committee encouraged the modernisation of madrasas and the inclusion of modern subjects. It did not recommend that traditional religious degrees be accepted for IAS or judgeship.
Claim 7: 50% jobs for Muslims
False.
This claim is baseless. The report asked for elimination of discrimination in hiring, but did not call for job quotas based on religion.
Claim 8: Cash handouts to Muslim boys and girls
False.
There is no mention in the report of giving Rs 5–10 lakh to Muslims. It suggested schemes for educational support and skill development for poor Muslims, similar to what exists for other communities.
Claim 9: Reserved constituencies for Muslim-majority areas
False and unconstitutional.
Indian laws do not allow electoral reservation on the basis of religion. The Sachar report did not recommend this either.
What the Sachar Report Actually Found
The report offered hard data that showed:
Low literacy levels among Muslims.
Poor access to bank credit and government schemes.
Under-representation in government jobs and police.
Very poor socio-economic indicators, similar to or worse than Dalits and Adivasis.
The report did not blame any community or recommend any religion-based advantage. It simply asked the government to treat Muslim poverty and exclusion as a developmental issue, just like other backward groups.
Conclusion
The viral message makes a series of false, exaggerated, and communal claims about the Sachar Commission. It also falsely attributes these demands to Asaduddin Owaisi, when in reality, his support for the report is based on its developmental focus, not on any of the fabricated proposals listed in the message.
The Sachar Report is a data-driven document aimed at improving policy decisions. It does not promote any anti-Hindu or pro-Muslim bias, nor does it recommend the extreme measures mentioned in the viral post.
Verdict: False. The viral message grossly misrepresents the Sachar Commission's findings and intentions. It is part of an attempt to spread communal misinformation.
