Waqf Amendment Bill Highlights | ‘Waqf harmed interest of women, Pasmanda Muslims,’ says PM Modi after Bill gets Parliament stamp

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking in the Lower House in support of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill stated, “Opposition MPs are spreading misinformation, either unknowingly or for political reasons. Waqf refers to a donation for religious charities in the name of Allah—an irrevocable charitable endowment. Donations can only be made from one’s own property, not government land.”

He further clarified, “There is no provision to appoint non-Muslim members to Waqf, nor do we intend to do so. There will be no interference in Muslim religious matters. The opposition is protesting this solely for vote bank appeasement.”

Congress MP KC Venugopal in the Lower House challenged BJP MP Anurag Thakur to provide proof that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge possesses any Waqf properties.

Speaking on the Waqf Bill, Venugopal accused the BJP of prioritising politics over crucial issues like job creation and Minimum Support Price (MSP) legislation. He pointed out that while the Vaishno Devi Act mandates a Hindu chairman or nominee for its board, and Devaswom Boards operate similarly, the Waqf Board is being treated differently. He questioned the BJP's alleged discrimination, highlighting its broader agenda.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha session has been extended until 8 PM.

LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Arun Bharti supported the Bill, while PV Midhun Reddy of YSRCP and Sudhakar Singh of RJD opposed it. Speaking in the Lower House on Wednesday, Arun Bharti stated, "The aim of the Bill is to establish transparency in the management of Waqf properties. Yet, the opposition is focusing on the religious angle, though there are economic, administrative, social, and legal aspects of it. But the opposition just focuses on the religious aspect."

Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day after passage of Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, amid opposition walkout .

BJP leader Anurag Thakur taking a dig at the Congress in the Lower House on Wednesday says, “The Waqf Board is about to claim Anand Bhawan (once the Nehrus’ residence in Allahabad) and National Herald. Will you give it?”

BJP leader Anurag Thakur said that Lalu Prasad had once accused the Waqf Board of swallowing the land of the Patna Dak Bungalow. He said that while the Congress was “anti-Hindu”, it did not do anything for Muslims too, who had been provided basic services and welfare by the Narendra Modi government.

BJP leader Anurag Thakur said in Lok Sabha on Wednesday that many Congress leaders in Karnataka had been accused of embezzling land in the name of Waqf, and that was the reason why the Congress did not want transparency.

BJP leader Anurag Thakur said in Lok Sabha that many Christian and Muslim organisations had also supported the Bill. It was time to change the Waqf, he said, claiming that it had become a hub of corruption. “Khaata na bahee, jo Waqf kahe wahi sahi (No book of accounts, whatever the Waqf says is correct) was the way Congress ran the Waqf Boards,” Thakur said. This was India, not Pakistan or Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, he asserted, adding that Babasaheb’s constitution and not Mughaliya farman (Mughal decrees) would function here.

“We have changed the law so that poor Muslims can benefit,” he said, asking whether there was casteism and discrimination within the Muslim community too. The Bill, he added, would be the last nail in the coffin of the Congress politics of appeasement.

Thakur said that making a law against instant triple talaq was evidence of the Modi government’s commitment to justice for Muslim women. He added that this Bill was also an assault on the foundations of injustice.

“This Bill is not against any religion. It is against corruption and deceit… This Bill is not about Hindu vs Muslim; it is about law vs lawlessness, constitution vs corruption, and Bharat vs internal partition,” Thakur asserted.

He gave examples of Waqf management systems in multiple countries, suggesting that the Bill was a corrective that complied with international templates.

“Why are you anti-women, anti-Muslim, and anti-change? You will have to answer these questions,” Thakur said, obliquely referring to the Congress.

BJP MP Mahendra Bhatt in Rajya Sabha asserts that the proposed Bill will strengthen laws against infiltration in India, highlighting West Bengal as a key concern. He cites a case where a Bangladeshi immigrant allegedly secured an official position in the state using forged documents. Opposition MPs strongly protest his remarks.

Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde criticised the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) for opposing the inclusion of non-Muslim members in the Waqf board, questioning whether they would have taken such a stance if Balasaheb Thackeray were alive.

He accused them of harbouring an "allergy to Hindus" and wanting to protect the personal properties of Nizams and Mughals, likening their stance to supporting Aurangzeb.

Shinde further condemned their opposition to the revocation of Article 370 and the development of the Ram Mandir. Defending the Unified Waqf Management Bill, he asserted that it aims to foster minority progress, dismissing opposition claims that the government intends to seize Waqf properties. Instead, he suggested their real fear lies in the exposure of past mismanagement and scams.

As the Waqf amendment bill was tabled in Parliament, political parties in the Valley put up a united front in opposing it.

While the ruling National Conference (NC) said its MPs will strongly oppose the bill, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called it a “conspiracy against Muslims”.

Warning that India is going the Myanmar way, former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti termed the bill a “deliberate” targeting of Muslims and urged the majority community to stand up against it.

“This is Gandhi ji’s country and it should run by the Constitution, not by the agenda of the BJP,” Mufti said. “If the people of the country want that India should not become another Myanmar or if they want that what happened to Kashmiri Pandits should not happen – for which we are sorry even today and for which the people of the country taunt us even today – they should stand up. If they watch in silence, nobody can stop this country from disintegration.”

Mufti termed the proposed amendment a conspiracy to disempower Muslims but hoped that the people of the country would stand against it. “I have no hope from the BJP. We are seeing for the last 10-12 years how Muslims are being lynched, their mosques bulldozed and their graveyards occupied,” she said. “The Hindus of this country have to come forward.” Read

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant has expressed scepticism over the government's intent behind the proposed Bill, alleging a mismatch between words and actions. He condemned the inclusion of non-stakeholders in the JPC and questioned whether the party remains committed to Hindutva.

Sawant linked the move to upcoming Bihar elections rather than genuine concern for minorities, calling it "Saugat-e-Bill" after "Saugat-e-Modi" in Maharashtra.

He further argued that nominating the Waqf Board, rather than electing it democratically, would diminish Muslim representation, warning that similar actions could extend to Hindu temple boards, Christian, and Sikh trusts. He also alleged large-scale sales of Devasthan Board land.

Supporting the amended Waqf Bill in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, TDP MP Krishna Prasad Tenetti stressed the immense economic and social potential of Waqf properties, valued at Rs1.2 lakh crore and spanning 36.18 lakh acres. He criticised their mismanagement and underutilisation, asserting that reforms would empower minority communities, particularly women.

"Our party (TDP) supports the betterment of minority women through reforms in the Waqf Bill. We were the first to establish a special committee, and after extensive deliberations, the Bill now includes 14 amendments, three of which were proposed by TDP," he said.

DMK leader A Raja, speaking in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, said, " Religion is different, and politics is something different." The two should not be mixed, he added.

Sreerampur MP Kalyan Banerjee on Wednesday alleged in Lok Sabha that the proposed legislation aims to polarise Hindu and Muslim communities. Highlighting a provision allowing individuals practising Islam for five years to declare a waqf, Banerjee argued that religious duties should not form the basis of legislation.

"One can fulfil their religious obligations at any stage of life, even at the time of death," he said.

Earlier, the Trinamool Congress MP had labelled the proposed law as "misconceived, irrational, and arbitrary." He also criticised the removal of Section 40, stating that it would render the legislation ineffective, likening it to a "toothless doll." The omitted provisions relate to claims over property.

Participating in the debate, Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav took potshots at the BJP.

Yadav said the Waqf Bill is a veil on the government’s multiple failures. "They were talking about the many progressive bills they have brought. They had similarly come up with demonetisation after great preparation. Let's discuss that too. The failure is also on the front of rising prices, unemployment, and farmers’ income. Have Ganga and Yamuna been cleaned up? Have smart cities come up? Have they abandoned the villages they had adopted? This time this Waqf Bill is the veil on these failures," he said.

Taking part in Waqf Bill debate, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "This country belongs to the Muslim community as much as it to the Hindus, there is no doubt in it. However, who will be ideals of the Muslim community? People who do business of votes will be ideals of Muslim community. If this is so, then it won't be acceptable to the country. We want to say it humbly that ideals of the Muslim community will be Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr APJ Kalam, Abdul Hamid, Ashfaqulla Khan, Raskhan, Kabir, Malik Muhammad Jayasi. When fast bowler Mohammad Shami takes a wicket, the entire nation erupts in joy. When Sania Mirza makes India proud in tennis, everyone celebrates it. We felt that 'saudagiri' of votes will be stopped, but it didn't."

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As the Parliament begins a debate on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Odisha's opposition party Biju Janata Dal on Wednesday said it will oppose the contentious legislation.

The party said it had made some suggestions to be incorporated into the Bill which were rejected. The BJD, which has seven members in the Rajya Sabha, will oppose the Bill, BJD's Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sasmit Patra told PTI. The regional party headed by former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, however, has no member in the Lok Sabha.

Stating that BJD Rajya Sabha member Muzibulla Khan will speak on behalf of the party in Parliament during the debate on the matter, Patra said the party is not satisfied with the Bill.

The Centre has amended certain points in the Bill after the JPC, he said.

The BJD leader said the Bill grants sweeping powers to the state government in determining the status of Waqf land, which could lead to undue interference. Patra also claimed that the absence of legal and institutional support for Waqf bodies exposes them to bureaucratic delays and mismanagement. PTI

Union Minister Kiren Rijju Wednesday announced in Lok Sabha that the Waqf Bill will be renamed as Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Bill.

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi slammed the Union Minister Kiren Rijiju over misleading the Parliament over the2013 Waqf board issue.

Rijju claimed, "Congress said any person can create Waqf in 2013. On March 5, 2014, the UPA transferred 123 prime properties to Delhi Waqf Board just before polls." "What he said about 2013 is misleading. He must authenticate it," said Gogoi. We have reversed it to say that only such a person who follows Islam for at least five years can create Waqf.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, taking part in the Waqf Bill debate, said, "Some claim that the government will snatch Masjids and Dargahs -- these were the people who claimed that Muslims’ citizenship would be snatched by CAA? Has that happened? Will you apologise for misleading people?"

"We will welcome your suggestions when we make the Rules or subordinate legislation. We have changed the definition to ensure that Muslims can govern their own properties through thr Waqf Board or a Trust. We have become MPs not on the basis of religion. We represent all people of our constituency. How can we, then, ask how non-Muslims are being included in it? Because this is just property management; it is not about religion. Under this, a man can create a Waqf only on property fully owned by him. No one can deprive women and children of the family of their rights to create a Waqf." he added further.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) called it a "black day" as the Waqf bill was tabled in Parliament today.

Calling it a "political bill" which is discriminatory and serves the "communal agenda of the BJP", AIMPLB spokesperson SQR Ilyas, in a press conference, said, "We will not sit idle. Will will stage nation-wide peaceful agitation. Will stage dharna and road blockade. Will explore all democratic mediums to oppose this law."

Union Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah slammed the Congress in Lok Sabha during the Waqf Bill debate. "The Cabinet approved a Bill and introduced it in Parliament. It was sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, as the opposition wanted. The committee took a call on it, and its recommendations went to the Cabinet. Kiren Rijiju ji is bringing its recommendations to the House. Our committees use their brain, unlike committees in the Congress times that just gave their stamp of approval," he said.

Meanwhile, the RSP NK Premchandan MP from Kerala said that the committee has no right to make amendments to the Bill, which has been done in this case (Waqf Bill). In response to this, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, "The committee has the right to make amendments to a Bill. It can even change the name of a Bill. It can bring new provisions to a Bill. Many joint committees in the past have made such amendments to Bills."

While a united Opposition has resolved to press for voting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which is set to be debated in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the Narendra Modi government appears comfortably placed to get the Bill passed.

In the 543-member House, the BJP-led NDA currently has 293 members. The Bill needs 272 votes in favour for passage. The INDIA bloc in comparison has 235 MPs in all, with the total 241 taking into account non-aligned parties such as the AIMIM, YSRCP and Aazad Samaj Party which have also announced opposition to the Bill.

While the BJP itself has 240 members, the allies on its side are the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with 16 MPs; Janata Dal (United) with 12 MPs; Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) with 5; the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena with 7; the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and JanaSena Party (JSP), with 2 MPs each; and the NCP, Apna Dal, Hindustani Awam Morcha, All Jharkhand Students’ Union and Northeast parties AGP, UPPL and SKM with one 1 MP each.

The JD(U) and TDP have expressed concerns over certain provisions of the Bill, but are expected to support it. Sources in these parties said their members may move amendments to certain clauses but will support the Bill.

The Opposition parties which have announced they will vote against the Bill are the Congress (99 MPs), Samajwadi Party (37), Trinamool Congress (28), DMK (22), Shiv Sena-UBT (9), NCP-SP (8), CPI-M (4), RJD (4), Aam Aadmi Party (3), JMM (3), IUML (3), and J-K National Conference (2), apart from 13 others. Among the non-aligned parties opposed to the Bill, the AIMIM and Aazad Samaj Party have 1 MP each and the YSRCP 4.

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The BRS on Wednesday said that it will oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in its current form in the Parliament.

BRS Working President K T Rama Rama Rao said his party will offer its argument on the floor of the House when it comes to Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

The opposition party has no representation in Lok Sabha. “It will come to Rajya Sabha tomorrow. We don't have members in Lok Sabha. We have taken a decision to oppose the Bill in the current form. And we want arguments to be heard, because there are four or five sections within the Bill which we have objections to,” Rama Rao told PTI.

BRS has four members in the Upper House.

The Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, will be the first speaker for the Waqf Bill debate, sources told The Indian Express.

"Clause-by-clause discussion, which should have happened in the JPC, was not done. The government's attitude from day one has been to bring such a law which is against the Constitution and minorities, which will disturb the peace in the country," he said.

Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi arrived at the Parliament on Wednesday wearing black attire to protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill, which will be introduced in Lok Sabha today. Pratapgarhi was seen holding a placard that read "Reject Waqf Bill."

Speaking about the Waqf Amendment Bill, which is set to be re-introduced in Lok Sabha today, Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) Chairman and BJP MP Jagdambika Pal said, “The government is bringing the Waqf Amendment Bill with the objective of addressing concerns after extensive consultations with all stakeholders, including Muslim organisations across the country. We have submitted a 428-page report, which has been approved, and now the government is presenting the amended bill. This will be a historic bill, benefiting poor Muslims."

Calling it a "black day" for India, Andhra Pradesh Congress Chief Y S Sharmila Reddy on Wednesday condemned the Waqf Amendment Bill as an "attempt to undermine" the religious freedom granted to Muslims under the Constitution.

"The bill is a "plot" to suppress minorities and a violation of constitutional values," Sharmila Reddy said, PTI news agency reported.

The APCC president claimed that the bill was part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's agenda to allegedly hurt Muslim sentiments and a means to incite religious hatred.

“The bill's provisions allowing government officials to supervise Waqf properties and requiring documents for properties dating back 300 years are deeply concerning, adding that, the stipulation that individuals must follow Islamic practices for five years before receiving Waqf land is unacceptable," she said on X. The bill not only disrespects the religious sentiments of Muslims but also allows the government to control Waqf assets and give them to Modi's allies, she remarked.