New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the landmark and contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025, rejecting the amendments moved by the Opposition, thus giving it the approval of Parliament.
The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on Wednesday after an extensive debate which began at noon and went on till over 1 AM.
During the debate, the BJP-led government insisted that its objective was to prevent Waqf from claiming anyone’s property and to use Waqf properties for the upliftment of poor Muslims. The Opposition parties, however, expressed apprehensions, saying the move amounted to grabbing land and interfering in the religious matters of Muslims.
Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju while moving the Bill in the Upper House said the the Bill is aimed at providing transparency in the management of the Waqf properties.
Rijiju stated that the new legislation will ensure representation from all Muslim sects in the Waqf Board, along with members from backward classes, making it more inclusive.
He said that in the proposed Central Waqf Board, out of 22 members, a maximum of four will be non-Muslims, while at least two members will be women. Similarly, in the State Waqf Boards, which will have 11 members, not more than three will be non-Muslim.
Kiren Rijiju said that the Muslim community is largely welcoming the bill, and despite some opposition, he invited critics to meet with Muslim delegations who have expressed strong support for the bill.
He said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always been saying ‘Sabka Saath, Sab Ka Vikas’ and this is the spirit of our Constitution”.
Congress member Syed Naseer Hussain criticised the ruling BJP, alleging that it is engaging in polarizing politics and claimed that the government introduced the Bill with the intent of grabbing Waqf’s property.
He questioned the reason behind the BJP’s past support and the unanimous passage of those bills. He also claimed that in 2009, the BJP included a related committee’s report in its election manifesto and had committed to implementing it. Furthermore, in 2013, the Congress government incorporated recommendations from that committee along with the Sachar Committee’s findings to amend the law, which was again backed by the BJP.
He stated that despite being in power from 2014 to 2024, the Modi government did not previously perceive the Waqf Act as an appeasement law.
However, after failing to secure 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and winning only 240, the BJP introduced this amendment to foster polarization and engage in religious politics.
Union Minister and BJP President J P Nadda said the basic objective of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill-2025 is to bring about reforms and ensure proper management of Waqf property.
He further said that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is in the nation’s interest and the Opposition is trying to derail and divert the issue.
“I want to tell the people of the country through this House that the government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is moving ahead by fully following democratic norms,” he said.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said that this is no ordinary law – It is being weaponised for political gain. This Bill is being used by the Modi government to systematically weaken the diversity of India.
He said that the Bill is not for any reform, but for control. This is contrary to the thinking of Baba Saheb and the founding fathers of the Constitution. The Modi government is not just attacking the Waqf properties but it is attacking the idea of constitutional democracy.
The BJP government is talking a lot about the welfare of minorities. There is talk of empowermnet. But What is the truth? This is clear from the Budget allocation of the Minorities department of the government for the last five years, he said.
The highly contentious bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in August 2024. It proposes 40 amendments to the provisions of the Waqf Act, including modifications such as Muslim women and non-Muslim representation in the Waqf boards and sweeping changes in the regulation and governance of India’s Waqf boards.
At present, the majority of the Waqf board members are elected, but once the new Bill formally becomes law, all the members will be nominated by the government The new law will make it mandatory for Waqf boards to register their properties with district collectors to ensure their actual valuation.
As per the 1995 Act, Waqf means “the permanent dedication of movable or immovable property for the purposes enshrined in Islam as pious, religious, or charitable.”
