The recent letter written by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India urging political parties to support the Waqf Amendment Bill risks “legitimising state intrusion under the guise of reform”, members of the community said on Tuesday.

In its letter on March 25, the Catholic bishops’ organisation had said that provisions of the Waqf Act before the recent amendment were inconsistent with the Constitution of India and the country’s secular democratic values.

A waqf is a property dedicated to a religious, educational or charitable cause under Islamic law. Each state has a waqf board led by a legal entity that is vested with the power to acquire, hold and transfer property.

The Waqf Amendment Bill, which was cleared by Parliament on Friday and given presidential assent a day later, sought to curb the authority of waqf boards and allow greater government control over them.

Before the bill was passed, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had highlighted the letter written by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, among other Christian organisations, to suggest that the contentious legislation enjoyed widespread support. Rijiju is also the Union minority affairs minister.

In an open letter on Tuesday, members of the Christian community said that the intervention made by the Catholic Bishops Conference had raised several “serious issues that merit careful reconsideration”.

The legislation has generated widespread apprehension and opposition, “particularly from the Muslim community and a range of political parties”, the signatories said. “One of the central concerns is that the legislation infringes on the autonomy of a religious minority’s institutional affairs,” they said.

The signatories said that the legal dispute in Kerala’s Munambam, where Christian families are reportedly facing potential displacement due to a waqf claim over the land, was a localised matter that should be addressed through “legal, negotiated and conciliatory” means.

The Catholic Bishops Conference had cited the Munambam dispute in its March 25 letter.

“This case, already under judicial consideration, should not have served as the basis for supporting a national legislative change that now has far-reaching implications for another religious minority community,” said the signatories. “The CBCI letter risks legitimising state intrusion under the guise of reform.”

The responses, shaped mainly by local anxieties, may inadvertently lead to consequences that also affect the Christian community’s long-term interests, the letter stated

“A precedent that enables state interference in the affairs of one minority may well open the door to similar intrusions into the rights and governance of other religious communities, including Christians,” it added.

The 2024 Waqf Bill proposes amendments to 44 sections of the 1995 Waqf Act, including allowing non-Muslims on waqf boards, restricting property donations and changing how waqf tribunals function.

The Janata Dal (United) and Telugu Desam Party, both allies of the BJP, supported the bill.

The Congress and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, among others, have challenged the constitutionality of the bill in the Supreme Court.

On Saturday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the Waqf Bill sets a precedent for the Union government and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to turn their attention to Christians.

Citing a report by The Telegraph about an online article published by Organiser, the official publication of the RSS, Gandhi said on social media: “It didn’t take long for the RSS to turn its attention to Christians.”

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

The article by Organiser magazine titled “Who has more land in India? The Catholic Church vs. Waqf Board debate”, claimed that the land holding of Catholic institutions in the country was seven crore hectares, describing it as “the largest non-governmental land owner”.

The article, published online on April 3, is no longer accessible.

It was quoted as saying that while the waqf board owns significant land parcels across various states, it does not surpass the holdings of the Catholic Church in India”.

The New Indian Express quoted the article as claiming that the Catholic Church of India owns around 17.2 crore acres of land, which it estimated was valued at around Rs 20,000 crore.