Regional parties like DMK, SP, and TMC fiercely opposed the waqf bill, with DMK‘s A Raja warning it could undermine India’s secular fabric, criticising BJP for portraying itself as a defender of minority rights despite having no Muslim MPs. Akhilesh Yadav (SP) and Kalyan Banerjee (TMC) accused BJP of using the bill to polarize the country and distract from its failures, with Akhilesh claiming it would harm India’s global secular image. Banerjee called it a violation of Muslim rights and a tool to justify the encroachment of waqf land.