Crafting Consensus: Conspiracy Narratives in the Policy Process

• In Event: Bridging the Divide: Polarization, Ideology, Trust, and Conspiracy

Abstract

Conspiracy theorizing can no longer be dismissed as the irrational mutterings of the political fringe—they are productive political practices narratively constructing political myths and subjectivities and reinforcing ingroup identification by reiteration (Saglam, 2024). In this study, I focus on the role of conspiracy narratives in the policy process: How are conspiracy narratives constructed and mobilized within the policy process? Using the discourse surrounding the Waqf (Amendment) Act (2025)—recently passed in both houses of the Indian Parliament—I study how conspiracy narratives are crafted and leveraged in the policy process. In the run-up to the passing of the act, a conspiracy theory gained significant traction across both traditional and digital media platforms, misrepresenting the statutory functions of the Waqf Council—a government-appointed body responsible for managing properties endowed under Islamic law—and claiming that existing waqf laws can be exploited for arbitrary land appropriation and thus constitute a covert threat to private property rights in the country. I show that these narratives were strategically leveraged to shape public opinion, reinforce majoritarian political subjectivities, and mobilize public support for the proposed amendment. This study contributes to the literature on conspiracy theorizing as a political practice by identifying it as a productive and strategic tool in the policy process, shaping public sentiment and approval toward specific policy measures.

Author

• Jothsna Rajan, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
  Presenting Author