Amid Waqf Row, RSS Mouthpiece Shifts Focus To Churches; Rahul Gandhi Warns Of Future Attack On Catholics

Amid the row over the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday warned that the BJP-led Centre might next target the Christian community.

The Congress MP's remarks came in connection with an article published by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) mouthpiece 'Organiser' which reportedly claimed Catholic churches were the largest landholder in the country.

"I had said that the Waqf bill attacks Muslims now but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future. It didn't take long for the RSS to turn its attention to Christians. The Constitution is the only shield that protects our people from such attacks - and it is our collective duty to defend it," Gandhi posted on X while sharing the link to a news report based on the Organiser's article.

According to a report by India Today, besides Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala also criticised the article and called it "deplorable" while adding BJP's next step was to control the properties owned by the Catholic community.

"During the time of the passing of the Waqf bill, the Congress and Rahul Gandhi mentioned that the next step would be against Christians. The (article by) 'Organiser' clearly mentions that the Catholic community in India has 7 crore acres in their hands... The next step will be to control the properties which are owned by the Catholic community," ANI quoted Chennithala as saying.

'Who Has More Land In India?': RSS Mouthpiece Organiser

As per media reports, the article claimed that Catholic institutions in India hold 7 crore hectares of land, making them the largest non-governmental landowner. At the time of writing this article, the report was already unpublished and the above-mentioned website showed 'Page Not Found'.

The article, titled 'Who has more land in India? The Catholic Church vs Waqf Board Debate', alleged that much of the land under Catholic institutions was acquired during British rule under the Indian Church Act of 1927.

It cited a 1965 government order that stated that land leased during the colonial period would no longer be recognised as church property.

The controversy surfaced two days after both the Houses of the Parliament passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 following hours-long discussion. In the Lok Sabha, the bill was passed with a 288-232 vote and in Rajya Sabha, with 128-95 votes. The bill now is waiting for Presidential nod.

The term 'Waqf' means voluntary, permanent, irrevocable endowment made by a Muslim to a religious, charitable or educational cause under Islamic law. In India, law prohibits any other use or sale of the waqf property.

According to the BJP-led Centre, the objective of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 is to redress the issues and challenges concerning regulation and managing of the Waqf properties.