The Waqf Bill was passed easily in the Lok Sabha and then cleared the Rajya Sabha just 24 hours later, after a long debate. During the process, it became clear that the parties opposing the bill were not fully united. In the Rajya Sabha, 128 members voted in favour of the bill, while 95 voted against it.

A few hours before the vote, Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) allowed its seven Rajya Sabha MPs to vote freely, without following a party order. BJD leader Sasmit Patra wrote on X that the decision was made after considering the feelings of different sections of the minority communities about the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

The discussion on the Waqf Bill went as expected. Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju started the debate by saying the bill will not hurt Muslim interests. He explained that only Muslims will continue to manage Waqf properties and benefit from them, and non-Muslims won’t be involved.

He said the bill is not about religion but about how property is handled. Its goal is to stop corruption. Now, before any property is declared Waqf, there must be proof of ownership. This replaces the old rule where the Waqf Board’s claim alone was enough to label a property as Waqf.

Rijiju and Union Minister Amit Shah also gave examples of properties that were marked as Waqf in the past,  including land in Delhi's Lutyens zone, a 400-year-old temple in Tamil Nadu, land meant for a five-star hotel, and even the old Parliament building.

Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain replied, saying the government is creating confusion about 123 properties. He said these are mosques, graveyards, or dargahs. He added that when the British built Lutyens’ Delhi, these places were handed over to the Waqf by the British, and the list being mentioned is from 2013.

There was a heated exchange between Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain and Home Minister Amit Shah during the debate. Hussain said the claim that people can't go to court against Waqf Tribunal decisions is false, pointing to many pending cases in higher courts. Shah replied that the 2013 Act allowed only limited writ petitions, not broader civil suits.

Union Minister JP Nadda supported the bill and accused the Opposition of trying to distract from real issues. He said Muslim-majority countries are modernising their Waqf systems, so India should too.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge urged the government not to make the bill a prestige issue. He warned it could spark disputes and asked the Home Minister to fix the flaws. Pointing to the close vote in the Lok Sabha, he said, “If you go by 'jiski laathi uski bhains', it won’t benefit anyone.”

Targeting the Centre, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge questioned the need to appoint two non-Muslims to the Waqf Board. He asked, “In Tirupati, do you include any Muslims? Are there Muslim members in the Ram Temple Trust? You wouldn’t even include a Dalit Hindu like me.”
His remarks were echoed by AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel, who said, “If non-Muslims are to be part of the Waqf Board, will they include me in the Shirdi Saibaba or Tirupati temple trusts? In boards for the Sikh community, no non-Sikh is included. So why only for the Waqf Board?”

Amendment in the Bill

One major change in the bill is the mandatory inclusion of two non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards. This move has been strongly opposed by many, including the Opposition. Another clause says only people who have practised Islam for at least five years can donate property to Waqf. Critics have questioned how the government will define a “practising Muslim” and say this rule violates religious freedom and equality by excluding recent converts.

The bill also changes how ownership of government land claimed as Waqf will be decided. Instead of Waqf tribunals, a senior government officer will now decide if the land belongs to the Waqf or the government. If there’s a dispute, the official’s decision will be final.

The Opposition and some members of the Muslim community believe these changes are aimed at giving the government more control over Waqf properties.

 

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