After a heated 12-hour debate, the Lok Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, early Thursday with 288 votes in favor and 232 against. The ruling NDA government defended the bill as a progressive step for minority welfare, while the opposition labeled it “anti-Muslim” and a direct attack on constitutional rights.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju strongly refuted claims that minorities were unsafe in India, stating, “There is no place in the world safer than India for minorities.” He emphasized that the bill would unify all minorities, citing overwhelming support from the Christian community. Rijiju added that the bill would streamline Waqf property disputes and provide justice to widows, divorced women, and orphans.
Home Minister Amit Shah accused the opposition of spreading fear and playing vote-bank politics. “It has become a fashion to create fear among minorities. No citizen, regardless of religion, will be harmed under the Modi government,” he asserted. Shah further claimed that the 2013 Waqf law was a last-minute appeasement tactic before the 2014 elections, resulting in 123 prime properties in Delhi being handed over to Waqf just days before polling.
Opposition leaders launched scathing attacks on the bill. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi called it “an assault on the Constitution, designed to disenfranchise minorities.” AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi protested by tearing a copy of the bill inside Parliament. Rahul Gandhi took to social media, warning that the bill was a weapon aimed at eroding Muslim rights and setting a precedent for future attacks on other communities.
The Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav went a step further, declaring the bill would be the BJP’s “Waterloo,” hinting that some NDA allies were unhappy with its passage. Critics also argued that the bill would damage India’s secular image globally.
According to the bill’s provisions, Waqf tribunals will be strengthened, state-sponsored audits will be mandatory for high-earning Waqf institutions, and a centralized portal will track Waqf property management. Additionally, it proposes non-Muslim representation on Waqf boards and restores pre-2013 rules allowing Muslims to dedicate property to Waqf after five years of practice.
While the NDA hails the bill as a landmark reform, the opposition vows to challenge it both legally and politically. With tensions running high, all eyes are now on the Rajya Sabha, where the bill is expected to face another fierce showdown.
