"How Did Modi Mislead Dawoodi Bohra Community": Owaisi On Waqf Bill "Thanksgiving" Meeting

AIMIM leader and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has strongly criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meeting with members of the Dawoodi Bohra community, calling it a “thanksgiving drama” over the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Accusing the government of deliberately misleading the community, Owaisi questioned the intentions behind the inclusion of the Bohras under the amended law despite their clear objections.

Taking to social media, Owaisi raised pointed questions about the presence of senior advocate Harish Salve, who flew in from London to represent the Dawoodi Bohra community before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) against the Bill. He noted that Salve’s intervention itself proved the community’s opposition. “Why did Mr. Salve fly in from London to represent the Dawoodi Bohra community against the Waqf Bill?” Owaisi asked.

He accused the Prime Minister of claiming that Dawoodi Bohra leaders had participated in the drafting process down to “commas and full stops,” while the same community had in fact demanded complete exclusion from the Bill. “They argued that their religious concept of Dai al-Mutlaq is incompatible with the structure of a Mutawalli as defined in the Waqf Act. They were not asking for exemption—they were asking to be left out entirely,” Owaisi alleged.

According to documents cited by Owaisi, the Bohra community proposed a clear amendment to Section 2 of the Waqf Act to exclude their properties, both past and future, from the purview of the legislation. Their demand was not honoured. Instead, the Bill only exempted certain registered trusts but included the community under the broader Act—an outcome Owaisi says is contrary to their request and damaging to their autonomy.

In his words, “This is like performing a fateha on your uncle’s grave at your grandfather’s shop,” implying the move served interests beyond those of the Bohras. He also alleged that this was being done “to benefit Mukeshbhai alone,” without elaborating further, hinting at corporate interests or influential figures allegedly being favoured.

The Dawoodi Bohra community’s submission to the JPC had explicitly stated that their waqf properties were religiously and legally distinct. While Sunni and other Shia Muslims dedicate properties directly to Allah, the Bohras vest property in the al-Dai al-Mutlaq who then consecrates it. Further, their religious head enjoys absolute control, unlike the mutawalli system under the Waqf Act, which is accountable to Waqf Boards. The community argued that treating these systems as one was legally unsound and religiously inappropriate.

Despite this, on April 17, a delegation from the Dawoodi Bohra community met the Prime Minister and reportedly thanked him for fulfilling a “long-standing demand.” A government press release claimed the community lauded Mr. Modi’s efforts, calling the law inclusive and pro-minority. It stated that the Prime Minister had taken inputs from the Syedna himself and described how women, especially widows, had suffered under the existing system.

Members of the delegation, which included entrepreneurs, professionals, doctors and educators, said the Act would protect them from wrongful claims over their properties and commended Modi for acting in the interest of the “minority within the minorities.” They also expressed support for the government’s vision of a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.

Owaisi, however, countered this public endorsement by calling it a “devious plan to divide Muslims.” He asserted that both Shia and Sunni communities are united in opposition to what he called a “black law,” and declared that the strategy to isolate sects like the Bohras would not succeed. “This will not work, Inshallah,” he wrote.

At the heart of the controversy is the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which makes sweeping changes to how Islamic charitable endowments are regulated in India. Among the key provisions are the inclusion of non-Muslims in state Waqf Boards, the shift of ownership decisions to district collectors, the elimination of “waqf by user” customs, tighter registration rules, and the centralisation of powers away from state governments.

While the government says these steps will improve transparency and eliminate exploitation, critics argue that it strips Muslims of their religious autonomy and violates Article 26 of the Constitution, which protects the right to manage religious affairs.

The Dawoodi Bohras—an influential but distinct Shia sect with a global diaspora—have traditionally kept a low political profile while maintaining strong diplomatic and civic ties with successive Indian governments. Their leadership structure, centralised under the Syedna, is legally and theologically different from the systems envisioned under the Waqf Act. This difference was central to their request for complete exclusion.

Instead, the final version of the Act included a limited exemption clause for registered trusts while keeping Bohra properties under the scope of the law. The community had sought an explicit provision: “Nothing in this Act shall apply to augaf and properties established, administered and managed by any person(s) of the Dawoodi Bohra community.”