Parliament early Friday approved the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after the Rajya Sabha gave its nod to the contentious legislation following an over 13-hour debate.
The discussion witnessed staunch objections from opposition parties, which termed the Bill "anti-Muslim" and "unconstitutional" with the government responding that the "historic reform" would benefit the minority community.
The Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha with 128 members voting in favour and 95 opposing it. It was passed in the Lok Sabha early Thursday, with 288 members supporting it and 232 against it.
Parliament also approved the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025, with the Rajya Sabha approving it. The Lok Sabha has already given its nod to the Bill.
Participating in the discussion, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress and other opposition parties of scaring the Muslim community with the Bill and asserted that the central government worked for all with the motto of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'.
Rijiju said the Waqf Board is a statutory body and, as such, like all government bodies, it should be secular. He said the inclusion of a few non-Muslims on the Waqf Board would not alter the decisions of the body and instead would add value.
The minister also claimed that the Bill brought by the government has incorporated several suggestions made by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) as well as the stakeholders.
The Opposition INDIA bloc parties opposed the Bill, alleging that it was "unconstitutional" and aimed at targeting Muslims. They claimed that the aim of the legislation was to take over the properties of Muslims 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 Bill was brought by the government with mala fide intentions. Some of them also demanded the withdrawal of the Bill.
Intervening in the discussion, Leader of the House and BJP leader J P Nadda said the Bill is not against Muslims and claimed that it is aimed at helping the poor and protecting the rights of Muslim women.
Nadda accused the Congress of making Muslim women second-grade citizens during its rule at the Centre.
"You made the Indian Muslim ladies second-grade citizens," Nadda said, referring to the Congress party and added, "It was only India where Muslim women were not brought into the mainstream." While triple talaq was banned in Muslim countries such as Egypt, Sudan, Bangladesh, and Syria several years ago, the Congress-led UPA government did nothing for Muslim women while it was 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 the Waqf properties," Nadda said.
Rijiju said the Waqf Board is a statutory body and all government bodies should be secular. Explaining the inclusion of non-Muslims on the Board, he said the number of non-Muslims has been restricted to only four out of 22.
He also accused the Congress and other opposition parties of "pushing Muslims out of the mainstream." For 60 years, he alleged, the Congress and others ruled the country but did not do much for the welfare of Muslims, who continue to remain poor.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said the government is trying to sow the seeds of conflict by suppressing Muslims through the Bill and appealed to the ruling party not to disturb peace and harmony in the country.
Kharge, also the Congress president, said the legislation is "unconstitutional" and not good for Indian Muslims. He urged the government to withdraw the Bill which has a lot of "mistakes" and not make it a prestige issue.
He also accused the NDA government of trying to create trouble for Muslims, claiming that the Bill seeks to destroy the community by usurping their properties.
Earlier, initiating the debate, Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain termed the proposed legislation "unconstitutional" and alleged that it targets the Muslim community.
He also accused the BJP of using the proposed legislation to trigger communal tension and polarisation in the society to strengthen its vote bank.
He alleged that the Bill seeks to treat Muslims as "second-class" citizens in the country. Hussain also noted that the BJP-led government was trying to bulldoze the legislation in the Upper House.
Manoj Jha of the RJD said the "content and intent" of the Bill puts a question mark on the government's motives. He also said the government should send the Bill to the select committee of Parliament once again.
Jha alleged the Bill was akin to "dog whistle politics" to keep Muslims away from the mainstream.
Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav emphasised all religions must be treated with respect and the government must prevent India from "shifting towards a totalitarian state." He said India has a huge population of minorities, especially Muslims and if a large section of people feel that injustice has been meted out to them, any efforts to appease them will not work.
John Brittas of the CPI(M) said the Bill was an attack on the Constitution.
"It attacks the basic tenets of India's Constitution, its secularism, democracy, and equality. There is a cardinal violation happening. They have already discriminated against people by segregating them. They are now segregating God from God. Hindu God from Allah," he said.
Y V Subba Reddy of the YSRCP too opposed the Bill, saying it was "unconstitutional".
Congress member Abhishek Singhvi said the Bill has omitted the concept of 'Waqf by user', at least 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 by minimising protection conferred upon Waqf properties with the right hand and significantly increase its own control and power to permanently claim these properties with its left hand," Singhvi alleged.
Independent MP Kapil Sibal said non-Muslims could earlier form the Waqf Board too, but this Bill does not allow that anymore. He said there should be reform in the Hindu religion and questioned why only one community was being targeted.
"Bring a law to ensure that women have rights in bequeathing property," he said, urging the government to make a commitment in the House that it would bring a law to maintain the rights of daughters.
While BJD's Muzibulla Khan said Muslims were concerned over the inclusion of non-Muslims on the Waqf Board, party leader Sasmit Patra said the BJD had not issued any whip to its MPs and they were free to vote of their own will.
DMK leader Tiruchi Siva said his party opposes the Bill as it is legally flawed.
"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 stated.
"Why is a certain community being targeted is our question?" Siva asked.
The intention of the government is mala fide and deplorable, and the DMK is certain that the Supreme Court will strike the Bill down, Siva said.
AAP member Sanjay Singh said the Bill is against the tenets of the Indian Constitution, and alleged that the government wants to control Muslim religious bodies through the legislation.
Singh noted that after Muslims, the government will target other religious bodies of the Sikhs, Christians, and Jains and hand them over to their "friends".
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut spoke against the Bill and questioned the government's intent.
"Why is the government so worried about poor Muslims?" Raut said, accusing the NDA of diverting attention from US President Donald Trump's announcement of reciprocal tariffs on India.
