The Waqf Amendment Bill is one of the highly discussed laws of the Parliament Budget Session 2025. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has once again touched on the sensitive issue – property of Muslims – drawing strong opposition from opposition parties. If passed, the Waqf Bill will amend the existing rules of the state Waqf boards.
The Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government is consulting the Business Advisory Committee and is in discussions with the Speaker about the appropriate time to introduce the bill. He said the House may extend its proceedings for the law to be passed.
Rijiju countered the opposition saying Waqf rules have been in existence before India’s independence – if the Waqf Act has been in existence since before independence, then how can it be illegal?
BJP leader Jagdambika Pal said the government wants to bring a transparent bill. However, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi highlighted the controversial bill as ‘unconstitutional’. He told ANI that the Waqf bill is a violation of Article 14, Articles 25, 26 and 29. CPI MP P Santosh Kumar said the CPI doesn’t view the bill through a Hindu-Muslim lens. However, he said that certain provisions in the bill could undermine India’s secular principles, and CPI would strongly oppose it.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also opposed the Waqf bill and accused the BJP of attempting to interfere in everything and seeking control over all matters. Congress is also opposing the bill.
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Why is the Waqf Amendment Bill Controversial?
If tabled in Parliament, the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 seeks to overhaul the Waqf Act of 1995 which governs the management of Waqf properties – land and assets endowed under Islamic law for religious, charitable, or community purposes. In India, Waqf properties span an estimated 6 lakh acres. It may be valued up to Rs 12 lakh crore, making it a significant socio-economic resource for the Muslim community.
The Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 proposes transparency – mandating the registration of Waqf properties through a centralized portal and introducing enhanced audits to tackle mismanagement. It will broaden the composition of Waqf councils and state Waqf boards to include non-Muslim members and women to enhance accountability. Moreover, the bill will remove the Waqf board’s authority to unilaterally declare properties as Waqf – giving power to district magistrates for legal scrutiny.
The BJP argues that the Waqf Amendment Bill will modernize Waqf governance, ensure professionalism and safeguard assets for the benefit of poor Muslims.
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Waqf Bill Shakes Secular India and Harmony
Congress leader Harish Rawat said BJP’s rigid stance will harm the harmony of the country. He highlighted that if the minorities were pushed further backward, they would become lonely which would increase extremism and other issues in India. Rawat said if there was no harmony in the state, the country’s development would be adversely affected.
Dr Syed Naseer Hussain, JPC member and Congress leader, alleged that the government is being pushed through without discussion or debate. He said the way the bill is being brought in a hurry shows that the government does not want to work on it seriously.
