Samajwadi Party MP Mohibullah Nadvi ignited a heated controversy in Parliament on Wednesday after declaring that Muslims in India may be forced to “wage jihad against oppression and injustice.” Speaking during the debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, he alleged that the government’s approach toward the ongoing verification of Waqf properties had aggravated distrust and deepened fears of marginalisation within the Muslim community. Nadvi claimed that the Ummid Portal — created to digitise and authenticate records of Waqf land — had restored only a small percentage of properties even after the six-month deadline, and he accused the administration of deliberately slowing down the process.
He said that nearly 70 per cent of Waqf properties remained unregistered or inaccessible and argued that this amounted to a violation of constitutional guarantees. Referring specifically to Articles 25 and 26, which protect freedom of religion and give religious denominations the right to manage their own institutions and property, he alleged that Muslims were being denied their legal autonomy. According to him, repeated server glitches, missing records and delays in approvals had added to grievances and strengthened a perception of discrimination.
During his speech, Nadvi claimed that Muslims who contributed to India’s independence now felt targeted and pushed to the edge. While linking the current situation to historical struggle, he suggested that if the community continued to face humiliation and injustice, a time might come when it would be compelled to resist in the name of jihad. His remarks immediately sparked uproar from the Treasury benches, with ruling party members accusing him of incitement and attempting to provoke communal sentiment.
Outside Parliament, Nadvi attempted to clarify his words but did not walk them back. He maintained that what he said inside the House reflected the reality on the ground and that the Waqf Amendment Bill was being introduced with “wrong intentions.” He reiterated that only about 30 per cent of Waqf-linked institutions — including mosques, madrasas and graveyards — had been verified, while the majority remained pending without explanation. He insisted that the Muslim community was being disrespected and denied its constitutional dignity, and that his expression of frustration should be seen in that light rather than as a call for violence.
