Opposition tears into Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Lok Sabha passes it after 12-hour debate

In the end, the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was a formality, clearing the Lok Sabha with 288 votes for and 232 votes against it at the end of a 12-hour debate after the Opposition sought a division. All amendments moved by the opposition were rejected by voice vote.

During the debate on Wednesday, 2 April, the Opposition put up a united front to criticise the move as an assault on Muslims and constitutional values. It was for the first time in several years that Parliament heard a debate without any disturbance and a united Opposition matching the ruling NDA government resolve for resolve, rebutting every argument the phalanx of ministers threw at it.

Tabling the Bill in Lok Sabha, Union minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said the consultation process of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was the largest ever exercise carried out by a parliamentary panel in India's democratic history. The Bill seeks to improve the administration of Waqf properties, introduce technology-driven management, address complexities and ensure transparency, he said.

Initiating the debate, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said the INDIA bloc opposes the proposed changes and called the Bill an attack on the basic structure of the Constitution with an aim to dilute its provisions, defame minorities, disenfranchise them and divide the Indian society.

Amit Shah misled Parliament when he said UPA gave away 123 properties to Waqf

Here are facts that expose his blatant lies👇

👉👉 1911–1945 (BRITISH ERA)

● British acquired large parcels of land, in and around Raisina Hills Area for building New Delhi

● Many Muslim…

— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) April 2, 2025

Gogoi accused the NDA government of misleading Parliament, referencing past discussions on the matter. “This Bill is an attack on the basic structure of our Constitution, an attack on our federal structure, and has four primary objectives: to dilute the Constitution, to defame minority communities, to divide Indian society, and to disenfranchise minorities,” he said.

In a feisty defence of the Bill, Union home minister Amit Shah, who intervened in the debate, asserted that Parliament’s law will have to be accepted by all. Responding to statements that Muslims would not accept the proposed amendments, Shah said, “Who are you threatening? This Bill is going to be passed by Parliament and will apply to all…every citizen will be obliged to comply with it.”

The government, he said, had no intention of interfering in the religious matters of the Muslims and was solely driven by the aim of transparent administration of Waqf properties. He accused the opposition of spreading misinformation about the provisions in the Bill to further its vote bank politics.  

He said that non-Muslims in Waqf council and boards are meant purely for ensuring administration of properties in accordance with stated aims. There was no provision earlier to include any non-Muslim person among those who run religious institutions, nor is the NDA government going to do so, he said.

Gogoi also accused the government of spreading misinformation about the Bill's impact on women's rights. "There is an attempt to create the illusion that the existing law discriminates against women. In reality, the law already has provisions for the protection and empowerment of women, including widows," he said.

The Waqf Bill tells every Indian Muslim “You are not an equal citizen of India, know your place, your rights are not the same as ours.”
Never felt so sad, so ashamed as I did in Lok Sabha yesterday. pic.twitter.com/FarVL8HVr2

— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) April 3, 2025

He also claimed that the Joint Parliament Committee did not take any suggestions of the Opposition into consideration.

Shah said the word 'donation' has special importance because donation can be done only of that thing which is your own property. No one can donate government property, he asserted.

He underlined that Waqf is a type of charitable institution where a person donates his property for social, religious or public welfare purposes, without the right to take it back.

Participating in the debate, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi staged a symbolic protest by tearing up a copy of the Bill.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav Yadav alleged that the Bill has been introduced to manage BJP's "diminishing" vote bank and will prove to be a "waterloo" for the BJP as some members might be claiming to support the Bill but inside they are not happy about the development.

Yadav demanded that the Centre must guarantee that Waqf land would not be given for other purposes using any tactics.

"Neither the policy nor the intent behind the Waqf Amendment Bill is right. This is a conspiracy to snatch lands and houses of crores of people," he added.

Former Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said when a large number of Waqf properties are lying vacant and being looted, the government has all powers to bring a law to regulate it.

Prasad said the church community is also in favour of Waqf (Amendment) Bill as churches too are facing the problem of encroachment by Waqf bodies.

"Waqf is not a religious body; it is a statutory body. There are over eight lakh Waqf properties, including schools, hospitals, and orphanages. Shouldn't there be a mechanism to ensure proper governance? The opposition is politically bound to oppose reforms, but they must look within themselves," he added.

Prasad said that the amendments were necessary to ensure transparency and fairness in Waqf administration.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a weapon aimed at marginalising Muslims and usurping their personal laws and property rights.

This attack on the Constitution by the RSS, BJP and their allies is aimed at Muslims today but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future.…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 2, 2025

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha , in a post on X, called the Waqf Bill a weapon, aimed at marginalising Muslims and usurping their personal laws and property rights. “This attack on the Constitution by the RSS, BJP and their allies is aimed at Muslims today but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future,” he said.

Replying to the debate, Rijiju said there is no place in the world safer than India for minorities and they are safe because the majority is entirely secular. He said even a minuscule minority community like the Parsis are safe in India and all minorities here live with pride.

“Some members have said that minorities are not safe in India. This statement is completely false. There is no place safer than India for minorities. I am also a minority and we all are living here without any fear and with pride,” he said after the debate on the Bill.

According to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Waqf tribunals will be strengthened, a structured selection process will be maintained, and a tenure fixed to ensure efficient dispute resolution.

While Waqf institutions’ mandatory contribution to Waqf boards is reduced from 7 per cent to 5 per cent, Waqf institutions earning over Rs 1 lakh will undergo audits by state-sponsored auditors. A centralised portal will automate Waqf property management, improving efficiency and transparency.

The Bill proposes that practising Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their property to the Waqf, restoring pre-2013 rules.

It stipulates that women must receive their inheritance before the Waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans. The Bill proposes that an officer above the rank of collector investigate government properties claimed as Waqf. It also proposes that non-Muslim members be included in the central and state Waqf boards for inclusivity.

With PTI inputs