The Lok Sabha on April 2, took up for consideration the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, along with the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claims the amendments will bring transparency and efficiency to waqf property management, curbing rampant corruption and encroachments. However, the opposition I.N.D.I Alliance has slammed the legislation, branding it an attack on religious autonomy and property rights.
Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced both bills for passage, with Speaker Om Birla assuring that all viewpoints were being considered. Defending the bill, Rijiju asserted: “Today is a historic day. This bill is being introduced in the national interest. Those opposing it are doing so for political reasons.”
Furthermore, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] have also extended their support to the BJP-led government’s Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, strengthening the ruling coalition’s position.
TDP national spokesperson Prem Kumar Jain reaffirmed the party’s backing, stating, “The entire Muslim community is awaiting the Waqf Amendment Bill. Our party will support it, and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu has reiterated his commitment to working in the interests of Muslims.”
Meanwhile, JD(U) has also supported the bill but demanded that it should not be implemented retrospectively. JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha said, “Nitish Kumar has worked for the Muslim community in Bihar for 19 years. We have urged the government to ensure the bill does not apply retrospectively, and we hope our concerns will be considered.” Party leader Rajeev Ranjan added that a delegation of Muslim leaders had met Nitish Kumar to express their concerns, which JD(U) representatives raised before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
Who Supports & Opposes the Bill?
Backing the Bill
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
- Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)]
- Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) [LJP (RV)]
- Telugu Desam Party (TDP)
- Shiv Sena (Shinde faction)
Opposing the Bill
- Congress
- Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
- Samajwadi Party (SP)
- Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction)
- Trinamool Congress (TMC)
- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
- Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)
- Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]
- Communist Party of India (CPI)
With 542 members in the Lok Sabha, the NDA needs 272 votes to pass the bill. The ruling coalition currently holds 282 MPs, ensuring smooth passage.
- BJP: 240 MPs
- JD(U): 12 MPs
- TDP: 16 MPs
- LJP (RV): 5 MPs
- RLD: 2 MPs
- Shiv Sena (Shinde faction): 7 MPs
In the Rajya Sabha, where the bill requires 119 votes, the NDA holds 125 MPs, with potential backing from smaller parties and nominated members.
Waqf in Bharat: A System in Crisis?
Bharat has the largest waqf holdings globally, with over 8.7 lakh registered waqf properties. However, these properties have been plagued by mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments.
Key Statistics:
- 7 per cent of waqf properties are encroached
- 2 per cent are under litigation
- 50 per cent have an unknown status
Major Waqf Properties in Bharat:
- Graveyards (17 per cent)
- Agricultural land (16 per cent)
- Mosques (14 per cent)Shops & commercial establishments (13 per cent)
- States with the largest waqf land holdings include Uttar Pradesh (27 per cent), West Bengal (9 per cent),
- and Punjab (9 per cent).
What’s in the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024?
The bill seeks to overhaul the Waqf Act, 1995, which itself amended colonial-era laws governing waqf properties. The major proposed changes include:
- Renaming the Waqf Act to reflect its broader governance scope.
- Redefining waqf properties, potentially altering the legal status of existing holdings.
- Mandatory, digitised registration of waqf properties to prevent manipulation.
- Technology-driven record-keeping to eliminate corruption and unauthorized transactions.
The bill was first introduced in Parliament on August 8, 2024, and has since ignited fierce debates. The opposition claims it violates constitutional protections for religious institutions, while the BJP argues it is a necessary reform to end mismanagement and ensure accountability.
PM Modi’s stand: ‘No more appeasement politics’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after BJP’s resounding victory in Maharashtra last November, declared: “Waqf is an act of appeasement politics by the Congress, and it has no place in the Constitution.” The BJP maintains that waqf boards have been dens of corruption and have allowed illegal land grabs under political patronage.
Why the Bill is necessary
The Modi government argues that the amendment is a crucial step to:
- Eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies in state waqf boards.
- Resolve long-pending litigation over waqf properties.
- Stop encroachments and unauthorized land transfers that have led to massive revenue losses.
- Ensure accountability and transparency through technology-driven governance.
Despite previous legislative attempts—including the 2013 amendment expanding Waqf Tribunals—serious inefficiencies remain. The Modi government claims that the 2024 amendment will be the final step to ensure accountability and end decades of corruption within waqf boards.
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