The RYA observed a protest day on April 5 against the Waqf Amendment Bill tabled by the Modi government in Parliament. Protest marches were held across several cities and towns, drawing large participation from students, youth, civil rights activists, intellectuals, and concerned citizens.

Addressing a public meeting in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur, RYA National President Aftab Alam stated that the Waqf Amendment Bill forms a part of the RSS-BJP’s long-term fascist agenda, aimed at transforming India from a pluralistic, multi-religious democracy into a communal, majoritarian state. He criticised the bill for seeking to dismantle the autonomy of Waqf Boards and for proposing the inclusion of non-Muslim members in these bodies — a move he described as a deliberate communal intrusion, undermining constitutionally guaranteed religious freedoms and minority rights.

The RYA slammed the government for pushing this bill without any democratic discussion, public consultation, or engagement with concerned stakeholders — neither with the Central Waqf Council, nor with State Waqf Boards, nor with representatives of the Muslim community. “This deliberate bypassing of democratic procedure exposes the authoritarian and communal nature of the present regime,” he added.

In Gopalganj, RYA Bihar State President Jitendra Paswan lambasted the JD(U) for backing the bill despite the BJP’s lack of a clear majority in the Lok Sabha. “Nitish Kumar and his party’s support for this bill is not only a betrayal of Bihar’s composite Ganga-Jamuni culture but also a historic backstab to the state’s minority communities,” he said.

He strongly condemned the JD(U)’s opportunistic politics and warned that the people of Bihar would never forgive such treachery. “From the streets to the assemblies, this betrayal will be answered,” Jitendra affirmed.

Students Rise Against Modi Govt’s Communal Ploy

On 4 April 2025, AISA along with other student organizations held a demonstration in Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University in protest against the unconstitutional and communal Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

In a shameful display of authoritarianism, Delhi police along with CRPF and RAF were also deployed outside the gate in large numbers since morning to alarm the students, creating a threatening environment. Moreover, the Jamia administration locked down the campus—shutting all gates and preventing students from both entering and exiting.

As an act of symbolic resistance, the bill was burned. In a desperate attempt to drown out student voices, the proctor instructed campus guards to blow whistles continuously during the speeches—a cheap tactic that only further exposed the administration’s fear of dissent. Despite these suppressive tactics, the protest was held with a participation of large number of students. Protests were also held in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru university and various varsities across the country.

CPIML Condemns the Repression in UP

CPIML has strongly condemned the brazen and unconstitutional crackdown on peaceful Muslim protestors in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, where hundreds have been booked by the police merely for wearing black armbands in opposition to the unconstitutional and communal Waqf Amendment Bill. This is an outrageous attack by Modi-Yogi regime on democratic rights and a clear attempt to criminalise dissent and target the Muslim community.

CPIML has demanded that all false cases against protestors be dropped immediately, and that the right to dissent be upheld.