Darekar accused of halting project funded by BJP leaders

150 Muslim BJP workers trained on Tuesday will conduct awareness progs across the state

- HT Correspondent

MUMBAI: The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday held a brainstorming session for party lawmakers, office-bearers and minority members regarding the need to raise awareness among Muslims about benefits of the amended Waqf Act.

Union minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, the main speaker at the event, said the amended law allowed Waqf land to be taken away from the clutches of illegal encroachers and returned to poor Muslims.

"Party workers should weed out misconceptions about the law from the minds of people using various forums and media," he said.

The BJP has been focusing on promoting the amended law among 'Pasmanda' or socially backward Muslims, claiming the changes are in favour of poor Muslims and women.

Tuesday's brainstorming session was attended by Jagdambika Pal, member of the joint parliamentary committee on the Waqf (Amendment) bill, the party's national joint general secretary Shiv Prakash and various state leaders including the state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule.