Parliament clears Waqf Bill; ‘We believe in real service, not lip service,’ says Nadda      

The Parliament in the wee hours of Friday passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, with Rajya Sabha’s nod after more than 12 hours of intense debate.

The Bill got 128 votes in its favour and 95 against after all the amendments moved by the opposition were rejected. In the Lok Sabha, 288 were in favour and 232 were against the legislation.

The Upper House cleared the Bill after 12 hours of intense debate, a day after the Lok Sabha passed it.

In Rajya Sabha, the current majority mark is 119 with effective house strength at 236. The NDA has 123 MPs, including BJP’s 98.

The legislation will now be sent to the President for its assent.

The government proposes to rename the Waqf Bill as Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Bill.

It seeks to amend the Act of 1995. The Bill aims at enhancing transparency and management of waqf boards.

It proposes that practising Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their property to the waqf. It also stipulates that women must receive their inheritance before the waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), historical or religious monuments and tribal land cannot be taken over by the waqf, according to the provisions of the new legislation.

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 Parliament also approved the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2025, with the Rajya Sabha giving its nod. The Lok Sabha has already given its assent 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 Union Government worked for all with the motto of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’.

Rijiju said the Waqf Board was 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 had 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, TMC, DMK, AAP, Shiv Sena (UBT), Samajwadi Party, 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 JP Nadda said the Bill was not against Muslims and claimed that it was 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.

(With inputs from PTI)

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