Rahul Gandhi flags article suggesting scrutiny of church holdings after Waqf Bill passage

A recent article published on the web portal of the Organiser, a magazine affiliated with the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), has subtly urged the Narendra Modi-led government to examine the extent of land held by the Catholic Church in India, as per a report published by the Telegraph Kolkata. This follows the passage of the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in Parliament, which grants the government greater regulatory authority over waqf (Muslim charitable) properties.

Titled 'Who has more land in India? The Catholic Church vs Waqf Board debate', the Organiser piece claims that Catholic institutions control approximately 7 crore hectares of land, describing the church as “the largest non-governmental land owner”.

The newly enacted Waqf (Amendment) Bill introduces significant changes to the Waqf Act of 1995. It expands governmental powers to manage and resolve disputes regarding waqf properties — land donated primarily by members of the Muslim community for religious, educational, or charitable use. The legislation has attracted criticism from various quarters for allegedly allowing the state to encroach upon property managed by waqf boards.

Sharing the Telegraph article on X, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi wrote, "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."

During the legislative process, the BJP invoked the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council’s endorsement of the Bill to corner Opposition parties. In this context, the Organiser article appears to be setting the stage for a parallel examination of land holdings by the Catholic church, as the Telegraph report says.

“According to the Government Land Information website, as of February 2021, the Indian government owned approximately 15,531 square kilometres of land… While the Waqf board does own significant land parcels across various states, it does not surpass the holdings of the Catholic Church in India,” writes Sashank Kumar Dwivedi on Organiser.org.

“Reports suggest that the Catholic Church of India owns around 7 crore hectares (17.29 crore acres) of land throughout the country... The total estimated value of these properties is around ₹20,000 crore, making the Church a significant player in India’s real estate landscape,” the article continues.

The RSS-BJP ideological framework has, in the past, frequently criticised Christian missionaries, accusing them of engaging in conversions through inducements (hence the term 'rice bags' to describe Indian Christians) and coercion.

Possibly the most horrifying manifestation of this approach were the killings of 58-year-old Australian evangelist Graham Staines and his two sons Philip (10) and Timothy (6), who were burnt to death in 1999 by members of the Bajrang Dal in Odisha. In 2003, Bajrang Dal activist Dara Singh was convicted of leading the murderers and sentenced to life in prison.

However, in recent years, these issues have been de-emphasised, especially in the context of electoral strategy aimed at appealing to Christian voters in states like Kerala, Goa, and regions of the North-East.

The Organiser article further notes that much of the church’s land acquisitions occurred during the British colonial period, alleging that numerous plots were obtained through “questionable means”. It draws renewed attention to a largely overlooked 1965 government circular intended to annul church leases originating under British rule.

“In 1965, the Indian government issued a circular stating that any land granted on lease by the British government would no longer be recognised as Church property. However, due to lax enforcement of this directive, the legitimacy of certain Church-owned lands remains unresolved,” the article states.

The timing and tone of the article suggest a potential recalibration of the government’s stance toward religious land holdings — one that may soon extend beyond the waqf boards to encompass the Catholic church as well.