'There's no transparency in work (of the Wakf Board), in property transactions (of the Waqf).'
Manipur's Bharatiya Janata Party Minority Morcha leader Asker Ali's house was torched on April 6 over his support for the Waqf Amendment Act.
The arson occured in Lilong, Thoubal district -- a Muslim-majority area in Manipur -- amid growing protests against the law across the Imphal valley.
Asker Ali blames political rivals from the Congress for orchestrating the attack. "Those people are all Congress members," Ali says. "They are politically angry with me because I do a lot of good work for the BJP in Manipur."
Ali had supported the Waqf Act on social media on Saturday, April 5, which he believes was the trigger for the attack on his home. Hours later, a mob gathered outside his house, vandalised it, and set it ablaze.
Ali was not at home when the arson occurred. "There's a wedding at my house and for that I was staying at my sister's house," he says. "My father was taken away by some people, but he's safe."
The attack happened a day after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which aims to bring transparency and better governance to the management of Waqf properties -- assets donated by Muslims for religious or charitable purposes. The law mandates digital accounting and stricter audits for Waqf Boards across India.
Ali's support for the Act stems from what he sees as its potential to uplift the Muslim community. "I supported it because the Act will help our Muslim brothers and sisters. There's no transparency in work (of the Wakf Board), in property transactions (of the Waqf) in Manipur," he says.
"If Waqf's properties are managed properly, then no Muslim in India will be poor."
Suggesting that true reform in Muslim welfare must begin with financial clarity, Ali says: "For transparency, Muslims should also benefit from this (property dealing and other money matters of the Waqf Board)."
His stand places him at odds with many in his community. Over 5,000 people reportedly participated in protests across Lilong and other Muslim-dominated areas in Manipur like Irong Chesaba, Kairang Muslim and Kshatri Awang Leikai, where anti-BJP slogans were raised and security forces clashed with demonstrators.
According to The Hindu newspaper, prohibitory orders were imposed in Lilong to prevent further escalation in the protests in Manipur, which is under President's Rule. The state administration increased deployment of security personnel in sensitive zones following the unrest.
Following the attack, Ali posted a video on social media in which he appeared to retract his statement. But when asked by this correspondent if he had apologised under pressure, Ali clarifies: "What I did is from home to control the situation a little, I made it myself to control."
Denying reports that he had apologised for supporting the BJP or asked the government to withdraw the Act, he says: "Whatever people are posting on social media, those videos and audios are not mine.. they're false."
"I haven't apologised to anyone."
Despite the trauma and property loss, Ali remains defiant and believes the Act is in the best interest of Indian Muslims. "I thought there would be so much transparency in Waqf property that no Muslim in India would be so poor," he reiterates.
The Waqf Amendment Act has seen protests in several Muslim-majority regions, notably in Murshidabad in West Bengal. Critics argue that allowing non-Muslims on Waqf Boards dilutes religious autonomy and opens the door for political interference. Supporters like Ali, however, see it as a necessary reform to end years of alleged mismanagement and corruption.
The political climate in Manipur is already tense due to ethnic clashes between Meiteis and Kukis since May 3, 2023. Ali dismisses any link between his attackers and ethnic fault lines. "No, no connection to that. I live in Imphal," he says, ruling out the involvement of either community in the incident.