BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has raised concerns over the source of the nearly 1.25 crore submissions received by the parliamentary committee reviewing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. He has called for an investigation into potential foreign interference. In a letter to the committee's chairperson Jagdambika Pal, Dubey suggested that the large volume of feedback may involve foreign actors, including Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and China.
Dubey, a committee member and fourth-term Lok Sabha MP, urged the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to investigate the sources of these submissions, citing the possibility that foreign powers and fundamentalist groups, including those linked to controversial preacher Zakir Naik, could be manipulating the feedback process. He argued that the overwhelming response — unprecedented in Indian legislative history — warrants scrutiny due to its statistical improbability.
According to Dubey, a significant portion of the feedback appeared to be part of an organised campaign, with many submissions containing identical or minimally altered content. "It is not uncommon for special interest groups, both foreign and domestic, to use this tactic to saturate the legislative process with pre-drafted suggestions or demands, giving the illusion of mass public support. This orchestrated effort undermines the very purpose of soliciting genuine public feedback," he said.
He suggested that external forces, including ISI, China, and radical organisations, may be attempting to influence the Waqf Bill deliberations to destabilise India's democracy. "There is reason to suspect that these elements are leveraging the Waqf Bill deliberations to sow discord and polarise public opinion. These efforts are not isolated but part of a broader strategy by fundamentalist groups to manipulate sensitive issues in our country."
The influence of a radical Islamist preacher Zakir Naik cannot be underestimated, he said, adding that there was needed for a thorough investigation by the MHA to ensure transparency and protect the integrity of India's legislative process. The BJP MP said there are credible concerns that Naik and his network may be involved in orchestrating this deluge of submissions to the Waqf Bill, leveraging the issue to further his extremist rhetoric.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, introduced last month, has drawn opposition from several Muslim groups and opposition parties, with concerns raised over potential interference in religious affairs.
Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju recently noted the unexpected volume of public submissions, far exceeding the usual number received for legislative reviews. He said that no one ever thought that the panel would receive recommendations in crores. Even if 1,000 recommendations or representations were made, it used to be considered a big number, he had said.
Dubey said in his letter to Pal that it is essential to ask whether foreign entities, organisations, and individuals may be deliberately orchestrating this "flood of responses to manipulate the democratic process".
(With inputs from PTI)