TCN News Desk
The ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition INDIA bloc engaged in a heated debate that lasted for more than twelve hours. The bill was fiercely opposed by the united Opposition, which described it as “unconstitutional”.
Ahead of the introduction of the controversial bill, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal voiced strong opposition. “The provisions of the Constitution are essentially violated by this bill. The INDIA alliance parties have reached a unified decision on this. We ask other parties that share our views to vote against this bill as well,” he said.
DMK’s A Raja called the proposed legislation “anti-minority” and “unconstitutional”, asserting that Muslims would suffer as a result of the bill.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav too expressed concerns that the law was intended to polarise people and harm India’s secular reputation.
“This law will backfire on the party,” he warned, claiming that the BJP introduced it to control its “diminishing vote bank”.
Yadav further argued that the bill was a distraction designed to divert attention from China’s “land capture”.
Iqra Hasan, Samajwadi Party MP from western Uttar Pradesh’s Kairana Lok Sabha constituency, strongly opposed the Waqf Bill, claiming its purpose was to erase the presence and legacy of Muslims rather than promote their welfare. “This law compromises the Muslim community’s independence in running its religious affairs,” she argued.
Congress MP Imran Masood said that the 1995 Waqf Act, which the Amendment Bill seeks to replace, did not include provisions for litigation. “However, you obtained the ownership rights and opened the door for encroachers to file lawsuits,” he said.
Commenting on the changes in the proposed law, he stated, “You have made non-bailable offenses bailable.”
Masood also questioned the exclusion of Muslims from the trusts of other religions, and pointed to the inclusion of non-Muslims on the Waqf Council in the Waqf Amendment Bill as problematic.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi described the bill as an attack on the fundamental framework of the Constitution.
“The government is trying to defame and disenfranchise minorities,” he argued, calling it a “4D assault on the Constitution” — diluting the Constitution, disenfranchising minorities and dividing Indian society.
He charged the government with attempting to weaken waqf laws and deny minorities the right to vote.
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee described the proposed law as arbitrary, illogical and misconceived, claiming that it was an attempt to limit the rights of the Muslim community.
“The performance of religious obligations cannot serve as the foundation for any laws,” he said.
A significant talking point that emerged during the debate was the noticeable absence of prominent Congress leaders such as Priyanka Gandhi, who did not publicly oppose the law outside of Parliament.
Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was present in the session but did not actively participate in the discussion, though he did show up for the vote.
Rahul, however, took to X, where he strongly objected to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
“The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a tool used to marginalize Muslims and usurp their property rights and personal laws. While targeting Muslims now, the RSS, BJP, and their allies’ assault on the Constitution establishes a precedent for future attacks on other minorities. The Congress party is adamantly against this legislation because it violates Article 25, the Right to Freedom of Religion and challenges India’s basic foundation,” he wrote.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah responded by stating that PM Narendra Modi was carrying out the wishes of RJD President Lalu Prasad Yadav through the proposed legislation, a task the Opposition had failed to accomplish.
He accused the Opposition of spreading false information about the Waqf Bill to increase their support bases.
Shah emphasised that if the Waqf (Amendment) Bill had not been passed in 2013, just months before the Lok Sabha elections, when the Congress-led UPA II was in power, the new legislation might not have been necessary.
“The majority of the land, whether it be government-owned or not, has been taken. All of the finest land has been sold by members of waqf boards. Apartments have been built on the Dak Bungalow site in Patna. This type of plunder has been common,” he claimed.
He further clarified that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was not against any faith.
Responding to the Opposition’s accusations, he stated, “No non-Muslim will participate in waqf. The appointment of a non-Muslim to run the religious organisation is not covered by any laws, and no such laws will be implemented.”
He rejected the allegation that the bill was intended to interfere with Muslim religious activities and land donations. “The minorities are being intimidated by these false accusations,” he asserted.
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju defended the bill, explaining that several suggestions from the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) had been incorporated into the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
“It is incorrect to claim that this measure does not incorporate the JPC’s recommendations,” he stated.
He also emphasised the importance of the newly structured system, introducing the Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Bill, saying, “A feeling of hope will result from this.”
In response to criticism, Rijiju questioned, “Why are we being challenged when we are introducing positive changes?”
He accused the Opposition of misleading the public on matters unrelated to the Waqf Bill, citing a lawsuit over multiple properties claimed as Waqf properties by the Delhi Waqf Board.
“These were claimed as waqf properties by the Delhi Waqf Board. The UPA government denotified 123 properties and turned them over to the Waqf Board while the lawsuit was still pending,” he said.
Rijiju warned that, had the current government not proposed the modification, properties like the Parliament building could have been claimed as waqf property.
The minister dismissed claims made by Opposition parties that minorities were unsafe. “In a democracy, it is acceptable to make accusations and chant anti-government slogans. There is no place where minorities are safer than in India.”
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey supported the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, arguing that it could improve accountability and transparency in the administration of Waqf properties. He accused the Congress of misleading Muslims to win elections, using religious differences for political gain. “There is nothing unconstitutional about the Bill,” he stated.
JPC Chairman and MP Jagdambika Pal also defended the bill throughout the debate, criticising Asaduddin Owaisi for calling it unconstitutional. “He has done the unconstitutional thing by tearing up the bill,” Pal said, questioning Owaisi’s motivations.
The four largest NDA constituents after the BJP— the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Janata Dal (United), Shiv Sena and the LJP (Ram Vilas) — also issued whips to their MPs, urging support for the government’s position.
Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas) initially voiced concerns about certain parts of the bill but changed their stance after the parliamentary committee accepted some of their recommendations.
JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, who is also a union minister, addressed the Opposition’s portrayal of the bill as anti-Muslim.
“The bill is not anti-Muslim at all,” he stated, explaining that a waqf is a type of trust established to serve the interests of Muslims, and the Bill aims to prevent abuse of waqf properties while ensuring fairness in their administration.
TDP’s Krishna Prasad Tenneti supported the bill, noting that waqf properties, amounting to over 36 lakh acres of land and Rs 1.2 lakh crore, could lead to social and economic change for minorities.
“These properties have been mishandled and underutilised with malicious purposes,” he claimed. He added that the bill now includes changes his party had recommended.
With eight hours allotted for discussion, the bill is being debated in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi, who is also chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, called the Waqf (Amendment) Bill a “brazen assault” on the Constitution, accusing the BJP of using it to ensure “permanent polarisation” in society.
She criticised the government for “bulldozing” the Waqf Bill through the Lower House.