Waqf Amendment Bill gets LS nod after hectic, fiery debate

New Delhi, April 2: The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 on Thursday after a marathon and heated debate during which members of INDIA bloc fiercely opposed the legislation while BJP and its allies in strongly supported it, saying it will bring transparency and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards.
The bill was passed after amendments made by the opposition members were negatived. The House sat beyond midnight to pass the legislation.
After a reply to the debate by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Speaker Om Birla announced that the House is taking up item no 12 in the listed business – The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 – for a decision of the House. He said the question is whether the bill should be taken up for consideration and then said the lobbies should be cleared. He later announced the result of division.
Parties in INDIA bloc had decided to oppose the bill and their members voted accordingly (See P-7). They also pressed for division on some amendments. An amendment was negatived with 231 members voting in favour and 238 against it.The revised bill was brought by the government after incorporating recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee which examined the legislation.
In his reply to the debate, Rijiju said slammed the opposition parties for terming Waqf Amendment Bill as “unconstitutional”, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the law relating to Waqf property has been in existence for decades and has not been struck down by courts and such words should not be used lightly.
The debate on Lok Sabha that lasted almost 12 hours.
Rijiju said that after the bill is passed, the poor in the Muslim community will thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The House sat beyond midnight to pass the bill.
The Bill seeks to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records. (ANI)