Parliament approved the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, early on Friday after the Rajya Sabha passed it following a 13-hour marathon debate, news agency PTI reported.The opposition strongly opposed the Bill, calling it “anti-Muslim” and “unconstitutional,” while the government defended it as a “historic reform” benefiting minorities.The Rajya Sabha passed the Bill with 128 votes in favour and 95 against. Earlier, the Lok Sabha had cleared it with 288 members supporting it and 232 opposing it.AdvertisementParliament also approved the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025, after the Rajya Sabha gave its nod, following the Lok Sabha’s approval.Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the opposition of misleading Muslims about the Bill and said the government is committed to development for all under the motto ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’.More from India
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PM Modi in Thailand: India’s cultural diplomacy sets stage for Bimstec summitWaqf Board is a statutory body, should remain secular: RijijuRijiju stressed that the Waqf Board is a statutory body and should remain secular, like other government institutions. He said adding a few non-Muslims to the board would not change its decisions but would add value.The minister also claimed that the Bill introduced by the government incorporated several suggestions made by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) as well as stakeholders.The opposition INDIA bloc parties opposed the Bill, alleging that it was “unconstitutional” and aimed at targeting Muslims. They claimed the legislation’s purpose was to take over Muslim properties and hand them to corporations.Leaders of several opposition parties, including the Congress, the TMC, the DMK, the AAP, the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Samajwadi Party, the RJD, and Left parties, alleged that the government brought the Bill with mala fide intentions. Some also demanded its withdrawal.Intervening in the discussion, Leader of the House and BJP leader J P Nadda said the Bill is not against Muslims and claimed it aims to help the poor and protect the rights of Muslim women.AdvertisementNadda accused the Congress of making Muslim women second-class citizens during its rule at the Centre.“You made Indian Muslim women second-class citizens,” Nadda said, referring to the Congress party, adding, “India was the only country where Muslim women were not brought into the mainstream.” He pointed out that while triple talaq was banned in Muslim countries such as Egypt, Sudan, Bangladesh, and Syria years ago, the Congress-led UPA government did nothing for Muslim women while in power for a decade.“We believe in real service, not lip service… I stand in support of the (Waqf) Bill as its sole purpose is to bring reforms in managing Waqf properties,” Nadda said.Rijiju reiterated that the Waqf Board is a statutory body and that all government bodies should be secular. Explaining the inclusion of non-Muslims on the board, he said the number of non-Muslims had been restricted to only four out of 22 members.He also accused the Congress and other opposition parties of “pushing Muslims out of the mainstream.” For 60 years, he alleged, Congress and others ruled the country but did little for Muslim welfare, leaving them in poverty.AdvertisementLeader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said the government was trying to sow seeds of conflict by suppressing Muslims through the Bill and urged the ruling party not to disturb peace and harmony in the country.Kharge, also the Congress president, said the legislation is “unconstitutional” and harmful to Indian Muslims. He urged the government to withdraw the Bill, citing multiple “mistakes,” and not turn it into a matter of prestige.He also accused the NDA government of attempting to create trouble for Muslims, claiming the Bill seeks to destroy the community by seizing their properties.Earlier, initiating the debate, Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain termed the proposed legislation “unconstitutional” and alleged that it targeted the Muslim community.He also accused the BJP of using the Bill to incite communal tension and polarisation in society to strengthen its vote bank.Hussain alleged the Bill seeks to treat Muslims as “second-class” citizens and claimed the BJP-led government was trying to push it through the Upper House without proper discussion.AdvertisementManoj Jha of the RJD said the “content and intent” of the Bill raised questions about the government’s motives. He urged the government to send the Bill to the Select Committee of Parliament again.Jha alleged the Bill was a form of “dog-whistle politics” aimed at keeping Muslims away from the mainstream.Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav stressed that all religions must be treated with respect and warned that India must not “shift towards a totalitarian state.” He highlighted that India has a large minority population, particularly Muslims, and if a significant section of the population feels wronged, appeasement efforts will not succeed.John Brittas of the CPI(M) said the Bill was an attack on the Constitution.“It attacks the basic tenets of India’s Constitution—secularism, democracy, and equality. A cardinal violation is taking place. They have already discriminated against people by segregating them. Now, they are segregating God from God—Hindu God from Allah,” he said.AdvertisementY V Subba Reddy of the YSRCP also opposed the Bill, calling it “unconstitutional.”Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi said the Bill had removed the concept of ‘Waqf by user’ prospectively by disallowing Waqfs to be created based on uninterrupted usage over a significant period.“This is a deliberate attempt by the government to further its own agenda—minimising protections for Waqf properties with one hand while increasing its control over them with the other,” Singhvi alleged.Independent MP Kapil Sibal pointed out that non-Muslims were previously allowed to form Waqf Boards, but this Bill prevents that. He argued that religious reform should apply to all communities and questioned why only Muslims were being targeted.“Bring a law to ensure women have inheritance rights in all religions,” he urged, calling on the government to commit to protecting daughters’ property rights.BJD’s Muzibulla Khan said Muslims were concerned about the inclusion of non-Muslims on the Waqf Board. However, party leader Sasmit Patra clarified that the BJD had not issued a whip to its MPs, allowing them to vote freely.AdvertisementDMK leader Tiruchi Siva said his party opposed the Bill due to its legal flaws.“I stand on behalf of my party to oppose this Bill… We reject the Bill in its entirety because it is legally flawed, constitutionally indefensible, and morally reprehensible,” he said.“Why is a particular community being targeted?” Siva asked.He added that the government’s intentions were mala fide and that the DMK was confident the Supreme Court would strike down the Bill.AAP MP Sanjay Singh called the Bill unconstitutional and alleged that the government aimed to control Muslim religious bodies through the legislation.Singh warned that after Muslims, the government would target religious bodies of Sikhs, Christians, and Jains and hand them over to its “friends.”Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also opposed the Bill and questioned the government’s motives.“Why is the government so concerned about poor Muslims?” Raut asked, accusing the NDA of diverting attention from US President Donald Trump’s announcement of reciprocal tariffs on India.TagsParliamentRajya SabhaEnd of Article
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Waqf bill clears Rajya Sabha hurdle, gets Parliament’s nod after 2-day marathon debate
