NEW DELHI: Jharkhand minister Hafizul Hassan ignited a massive political firestorm on Monday after the JMM leader said he prioritises Shariat over Constitution, and claimed that a Muslim “keeps the Quran in his heart and the Constitution in his hand”.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lashed out at Hassan calling his comments “a blatant insult” to Indian democracy.
“For those who have Sharia in their hearts, the doors to Pakistan and Bangladesh are open. India will run only under the Constitution of Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and will remain supreme,” the Jharkhand unit of BJP said in a post on X.
Zubin Ashara, who serves as the state media co-head of Gujarat BJP, further accused the INDIA bloc of being packed with “people who treat religious law as superior to the very foundation of our nation.”
“A minister like Hassan Ansari saying Sharia outweighs the Indian Constitution is not boldness, it’s a blatant insult to our democracy. INDI Alliance seems packed with such mindset people who treat religious law as superior to the very foundation of our nation,” he said.
On Sunday, Hassan speaking about the ongoing Waqf protests across the country said that a Muslim “keeps the Quran in his heart and the Constitution in his hand.”
Hassan, who serves as the minority affairs minister in the JMM-led government, accused the Central government of targeting Muslims in order to “send them to jail.”
“Waqf is not a new concept – it has existed for 1,400 years and continues today. Shariat is bigger for me. We keep Quran in our heart and the Constituion in our hand. A muslim keeps the Quran in his heart and Constitution in his hand. So we will first hold the Shariat and then the Constituion,” he said while speaking to a local news channel.
He labelled the Waqf Act a “political stunt” by BJP, warning that within the next six months, the Centre would introduce laws targeting Christians and tribal communities. Hassan’s comments come as the country is witnessing widespread protests with the agitation in West Bengal leading to over 200 arrests.
“Muslims sabr mein hai kabr mein nahi (muslims are patient, but not dead),” Hassan said, adding, “If they push us too far, it will lead to massive unrest both in the country and globally.”
On 5 April, President Droupadi Murmu approved the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025, both passed during the budget session.
The amendment bill aims to modernise waqf property management, streamline surveys, registrations, and dispute resolution, and empower stakeholders. However, it has triggered backlash, with parties like Congress, AIMIM, and AAP challenging it in the Supreme Court. They argue the bill could adversely affect waqf oversight.
