New Delhi: Parliament gave its final approval to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the early hours of Friday, following a marathon discussion in the Rajya Sabha.
The Bill was passed by a margin of 128 votes to 95, a day after it had cleared the Lok Sabha following nearly 12 hours of heated debate, IANS reported.
After Ministers Amit Shah and Kiren Rijiju advocated strongly for the Bill in the lower house, Union Minister and Leader of the Rajya Sabha, JP Nadda, spearheaded an impassioned debate in the Upper House. He forcefully criticised the opposition, particularly the Congress, for how the original Waqf Act had been structured — alleging that it allowed land mafias to exploit the system.
The Bill will now be sent to President Droupadi Murmu for her assent, the final step before it becomes law.
In his address to the Rajya Sabha, Nadda staunchly defended the need for the amendments, arguing they are crucial for reforming Waqf property management, preventing its misuse, and ensuring that these assets benefit poor Muslims — as originally intended.
He pointed to the formation of a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) under the Modi-led government, which held 36 meetings, interacted with 284 stakeholders, and conducted field visits to 10 locations. This, he said, was a testament to the government’s commitment to comprehensive consultation and reform. He contrasted this with the UPA-era JPC of 2013, which had only 13 members and consulted just 18 stakeholders.
Nadda emphasised that a healthy democracy thrives on debate and the exchange of diverse viewpoints, not on the imposition of singular narratives. He called out the Congress and other opposition parties for introducing unrelated issues during the discussions and accused them of attempting to derail the legislative process.
Addressing key constitutional concerns, Nadda noted that under previous rules, Waqf land claims were immune from civil court challenges — a provision he called unconstitutional. The new amendment, he explained, empowers district collectors to assess and determine rightful ownership of properties, and specifically bars Waqf claims on land under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). This, he asserted, is a necessary and transformative step.
Nadda also brought social issues into the spotlight, accusing the Congress of ignoring Muslim women’s rights. He criticised the UPA government’s failure to act on the Supreme Court’s recommendation to abolish triple talaq, which he described as having relegated Muslim women to second-class citizenship. He highlighted that countries like Turkey abolished triple talaq as early as 1929, with others following suit. In India, he noted, it was finally banned under Modi’s leadership — a move that he said empowered women from the community.
Raising further concerns, Nadda questioned how several government-owned properties — including temples and lakes — came to be listed as Waqf properties. He urged members to look beyond party lines and support reforms that serve national interests.
However, the Bill’s passage was not without controversy. Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, raised alarm over the implications of the amendments. They argued that the Bill is discriminatory, unconstitutional, and a threat to the rights of the Muslim community. Critics feared it could lead to the government seizing historic mosques and other religious properties under the pretext of reform.
Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain accused the BJP of using the Bill to polarise voters and mislead the public, while senior advocate and independent MP Kapil Sibal criticised the Bill for restricting donations exclusively to Muslims. He questioned its compatibility with the idea of “one nation, one law” and called for similar reforms in Hindu property laws to ensure gender equality.
Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi went further, calling the Bill a “conspiracy” that violates Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, which guarantee religious freedom. He accused the government of acting arbitrarily and without proper consultation.
Still, not all opposition voices were critical. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda welcomed the Bill, commending its focus on protecting donor-given properties from powerful individuals. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, however, ridiculed what he termed the government’s newfound concern for Muslims, while BJD MP Muzibullah Khan urged the Centre to clarify doubts and reassure the Muslim community.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh accused the government of misleading the nation and demanded greater transparency on the feedback the JPC received from the public. Trinamool Congress MP Nadimul Haque warned that the Bill could set a dangerous precedent, possibly enabling the targeting of religious properties from other communities in the future. He called it a blow to India’s federal structure and urged caution against divisive legislative moves.
The tension spilled over from the Lok Sabha to the Rajya Sabha. Leader of Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the Bill was aimed at marginalising minorities. He challenged BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s corruption allegations linked to Waqf land in Karnataka, demanding either proof or resignation from Thakur — and even offered to resign himself if any such charges against him were proven.
While the Biju Janata Dal allowed its MPs to vote according to their conscience, Shiv Sena’s Milind Deora defended the government, stating that minority communities had benefitted under Modi’s leadership. He pointed to the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir as a positive development, claiming it had led to a rise in per capita income in the region.
Samajwadi Party MP Javed Ali Khan added that the JPC had received feedback from over one crore citizens, underlining the significance and contentious nature of the legislation, the news agency reported.
