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New Delhi [India], April 2 (ANI): Lok Sabha on Wednesday took up for consideration the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which incorporates suggestions made by the Joint Parliamentary Committee that examined the bill tabled in Parliament in August last year.
The House also took up the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, for consideration and passing. Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju moved the two bills for passing in the House.
Congress member KC Venugopal accused the government of trying to bulldoze the bill, saying that they had not been given enough time to move their amendments.
“You are bulldozing the legislation, you need to give time for the amendments, there is no time for amendments,” he said.
Speaker Om Birla said that he had given equal consideration to the amendments of the government and the opposition members.
With RSP’s NK Premachandran raising some objections to the procedure adopted by the government over the bill, Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Union Cabinet had approved the amendments which had been incorporated in the bill. He said the amendments were based on the report of the JPC.
“There is no point of order,” he said.
Rijiju told the media earlier that the bill is in the interest of the country.
“Today is a historic day, and today the Waqf Amendment Bill will be introduced in the Lok Sabha. This bill is being introduced in the interest of the country. Not only crores of Muslims but the whole country will support it. Those who are opposing it are doing so for political reasons,” he said.
The bill was earlier presented in the Lok Sabha in August last year, and a Joint Parliamentary Committee, headed by BJP member Jagdambika Pal, examined it.
The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995. It aims to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. It seeks to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improve the registration process, and increase the role of technology in managing waqf records.
Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Waqf Amendment Bill
Union Minister and National President of Lok Janshakti Party, Chirag Paswan, on Wednesday stated that the amendments made in the Waqf Bill were positive and had been done with the thought of bringing transparency.
Speaking to the media, the Union Minister said, “In reality, the amendments that have been done are positive and have been done with the thinking of bringing transparency. We also gave suggestions, and most of our suggestions have also been accepted, and we are supporting it.”
He also stated that his party was supporting the bill.
“Our party is supporting the Waqf Amendment Bill,” Paswan further added.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that the party would oppose the bill, further stating that the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) should have heard suggestions from everyone.
“We will oppose the bill. The JPC should have heard suggestions from everyone. All INDIA bloc leaders will fight against it. The JPC heard us but did not take our suggestions,” Warring said while speaking to ANI.
On the other hand, Swami Jitendranand Saraswati, the National General Secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti, voiced his support for the Waqf Amendment Bill and expressed hope that it would be passed in Parliament.
Speaking to ANI, Swami Jitendranand Saraswati said, “Every sadhu and saint across the country is filled with joy and hope as they anticipate the bill’s passage. We are confident that this bill will be passed in Parliament.”
“We fully support this bill and commend Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for bringing it forward,” he said.
Syed Naseruddin Chishty, Chairman of the All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council, also backed the bill and shared his positive outlook, expressing that the people have been eagerly awaiting this moment and that there is widespread hope that the bill will be a positive development for the community.
“People have been waiting for this for a long time. People are hopeful that a good bill will come… In a democracy, everyone has the right to protest, but I have come to know that the main objections raised by the opposition have been accepted by the government, so this will be a very good bill. Now the Waqf money will reach the common and poor Muslims,” he said.
“Nationwide Movement if Waqf Bill Imposed Forcibly”: Delhi AIMIM Chief
New Delhi [India], April 2 (ANI): Delhi All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Shoaib Jamai on Wednesday warned of a nationwide movement, which would be initiated from the national capital, if attempts were made to “forcibly” impose the Waqf Amendment Bill.
He said that attacks on rights granted by the Constitution to minorities would not be tolerated.
“If an attempt is made to forcibly impose the Waqf Bill on Muslims, there will be a nationwide movement, and it will start from Delhi. ‘The movement will start from where it ended last time.’ We will use our democratic rights and will not tolerate any attack on the rights given to minorities in the Constitution,” Jamai posted on X.
The bill is being tabled in the Lok Sabha by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in the ongoing budget session.
Despite opposition to the bill, women from the Muslim community in Delhi and Bhopal came out in support of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Minority Morcha in Mumbai’s Borivali were seen distributing sweets and celebrating the bill’s tabling, which aims to amend the Waqf Act of 1995.
Wasim R Khan, President of Mumbai BJP Minority Morcha, lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that this bill would help poor Muslims.
“I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing this bill as it will help poor Muslims. Those who considered Waqf properties as their ‘baap ki jaagir’ would get under control. This bill should have been brought much before,” Khan told ANI.
Speaking on the opposition to the bill, Khan said that Waqf properties were supposed to benefit the poor but only benefited the rich. Dismissing the objections raised by the opposition, Khan alleged that they want Muslims to remain poor.
BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who was the Chairman of the JPC on the Waqf Amendment Bill, said that the Bill, which is going to be tabled in Parliament for passing, would benefit poor and Pasmanda (backward) Muslims.
Labelling it as a “historic day,” Pal said that the hard work of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), which took stakeholders in several states in confidence, has paid off. He added that JPC meetings were held and the opposition was heard for eight hours every day.
BJP leader Mohsin Raza on Wednesday expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Waqf Amendment Bill is set to be moved in Parliament, saying that passing the amendments to the Waqf Act would be the biggest “Eidi” for marginalised Muslims.
“This is an Anti-Constitutional Bill”: Congress MP Imran Masood on Waqf Amendment Bill
Congress MP Imran Masood strongly opposed the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, terming it as an “anti-Constitutional” Bill.
Masood questioned how the government could register Waqf properties within six months when the same could not be done in the last ten years.
“The WAMSI portal (An Online System for Searching Waqf Properties) was mentioned again and again… 10 years is a long time. You could not register all properties in 10 years… You could not do this work in 10 years, but now you say that properties have to be registered within 6 months. Who would do the registration? Your officers. How would that be done within 6 months when it could not be done in 10 years? This is an anti-Constitutional Bill,” Masood said.
Rijiju countered by highlighting the inefficiencies in Waqf property management and the necessity of the amendments.
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