Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday urged controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik not to mislead Indian Muslims, following Naik’s recent statements on the Waqf Amendment Bill. Rijiju emphasized that India is a democratic nation where people are free to express their opinions but warned against spreading false narratives.

Naik, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), called on Muslims across India to “stand together to defend the sanctity of Waqf” and reject the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill. He urged at least five million Muslims to send formal rejections of the bill, describing it as a threat to Islamic institutions and Waqf properties. Naik further warned that allowing the bill to pass would have dire spiritual and communal consequences.

“This is an urgent call to the Muslims in India to stop this evil which breaches the sacred status of Waqf… We will bear Allah’s wrath if we allow this bill to pass,” Naik wrote in his post.

In response, Rijiju reshared Naik’s post, urging him not to spread misinformation from outside the country. “Please do not mislead the innocent Muslims from outside our country. India is a democratic country and people have the right to their own opinion. False propaganda will lead to wrong narratives,” Rijiju wrote.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill has sparked controversy, as it seeks to centralize the registration process of Waqf properties through a unified portal. The bill, currently under review by a joint parliamentary committee, aims to address issues surrounding Waqf properties, including historical claims made by the Waqf Board on 138 properties acquired for the construction of New Delhi between 1970 and 1977.