Backlash builds in Gujarat as UCC, Waqf Bill trigger protests, political uproar and detentions

A day after the Rajya Sabha passed the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, protests erupted across Gujarat, with members of the Muslim community voicing strong objections not only to the bill but also to the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

The unrest saw coordinated demonstrations in Bharuch, mass detentions in Ahmedabad, and a political jolt in Surat, with over 100 resignations from the BJP.

In Bharuch’s Jambusar taluka, hundreds staged a dharna outside the deputy collector’s office, wearing black armbands in symbolic protest. The gathering prompted a significant police presence, with barricades and tight security at the complex. Protest leaders were permitted to submit memorandums addressed to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“This is the first time our community has come out in such numbers,” said Shakir Malek, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Jambusar Nagar Palika. “We’ve raised objections to both the UCC and the Waqf Bill. This is just the beginning — we will escalate our awareness campaign in the coming days.”

Meanwhile, in Ahmedabad’s Lal Darwaja area, protests led by the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) turned confrontational. AIMIM Gujarat State President Sabir Kabliwala and 40 party members were detained by police for holding an unauthorized demonstration that reportedly disrupted traffic.

“They had not taken permission and were blocking a major road,” said PT Chaudhary, inspector at Karanj police station. “All 41 protesters were released later in the evening.”

In Surat, political fallout followed swiftly. Kalu Karim Shah, a former Bardoli councillor and a key face in the BJP’s local unit, resigned from the party along with four booth-level leaders and over 100 workers. Shah, who joined the BJP from Congress in 2019, said the government’s push for UCC and changes to the Waqf Act were unacceptable.

“I believed in the BJP’s slogan of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ when I joined,” Shah told reporters. “But the recent decisions interfere with religious autonomy. I part ways with respect, but I cannot support this.”

The spate of protests marks a sharp rise in public dissent against the central government’s moves, which are perceived as targeting minority rights. While state authorities maintained a firm grip on crowd control and detentions, the message from the streets was loud: a broader campaign of resistance may just be getting started.