‘After Waqf, it’s Christians now’: Rahul Gandhi, Kerala CM slam RSS article on Catholic church land

A recent article published in Organiser, the RSS’ ideological mouthpiece, which discussed the extent of land ownership by the Catholic Church in India, has stoked controversy with Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticising the piece, seeing it as part of a broader agenda to target and marginalise minority communities.

CM Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the article, calling it part of a larger strategy by the Sangh Parivar to alienate minorities.

In a post on X, he said, “The article in the RSS mouthpiece @eOrganiser about the Church’s ownership of land, published soon after the Waqf Amendment Act was passed, lays bare the Sangh Parivar’s deep-rooted antagonism towards minorities. Though later withdrawn, it reveals a deliberate, step-by-step attempt to target and isolate minorities and their institutions. Secular forces must unite in resistance.”

‘It’s Christians now’: Rahul Gandhi

In a related development, Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, shared his concerns on X, warning that the Waqf Bill, which got President Droupadi Murmu’s assent after passing both houses of Parliament, could set a dangerous precedent for targeting other minority communities.

“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,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X, in which he shared a news report on RSS mouthpiece’s article.

Rahul Gandhi added that the Constitution remains the only safeguard against such attacks, urging citizens to defend it.

Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala also voiced strong opposition to the article, describing it as “highly deplorable.” He suggested that the article’s focus on the Catholic Church’s land holdings was linked to the passing of the Waqf Bill and a potential future crackdown on Christian institutions.

“The article published in the ‘Organiser’ is highly deplorable. During the time of the passing of the Waqf Bill, Congress and Rahul Gandhi mentioned that the next step will be against the Christians. The (article of) ‘Organiser’ clearly mentions that the Catholic community in India has seven crore acres in their hands…Through the Waqf Bill, they want to control the Waqf properties. The next step will be to control the properties which are owned by the Catholic community in India…,” news agency ANI quoted Chennithala as saying.

The Waqf Amendment Bill, which was fiery debates in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, seeks to address issues related to Waqf properties. Following its passage, the bill on Saturday evening got assent of President Droupadi Murmu to become an official Act.