New Delhi, Apr 3 (UNI) The Rajya Sabha on Thursday witnessed a heated debate between the ruling and Opposition parties regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill.
Congress member Syed Naseer Hussain criticised the ruling BJP, alleging that it is engaging in polarizing politics and claimed that the government introduced the Bill with the intent of grabbing Waqf property.
Meanwhile, the BJP claimed that its objective was to prevent Waqf from claiming anyone's property and to use Waqf properties for the upliftment of poor Muslims.
While initiating the discussion on the The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and The Mussalman Waqf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, Hussain pointed out that the BJP had supported similar bills when they were introduced in 1995 and 2013.
He questioned the reason behind BJP’s past support and the unanimous passage of those bills. He also claimed that in 2009, the BJP included a related committee's report in its election manifesto and had committed to implementing it. Furthermore, in 2013, the Congress government incorporated recommendations from that committee along with the Sachar Committee’s findings to amend the law, which was again backed by the BJP.
He stated that despite being in power from 2014 to 2024, the Modi government did not previously perceive the Waqf Act as an appeasement law.
However, after failing to secure 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and winning only 240, the BJP introduced this amendment to foster polarization and engage in religious politics.
He further asserted that the bill is defamatory to the Muslim community and that misleading propaganda is being spread about the Waqf Act.
He demanded that the report of the relevant parliamentary committee be presented in the House to reveal how many members were in favour and how many opposed the bill. He pointed out that the committee’s recommendations did not reflect the views of opposition members, as the articles were not discussed during the meetings.
He argued that the amendment violates the Constitution and emphasized the need for a uniform law applicable to all religions in the country. However, he asserted that while such a law should be established, the Personal Law Board should remain separate from it.
He claimed that efforts are being made to relegate a particular community to second-class citizenship. He also emphasized that the concept of charity exists in every religion. There are different laws for every religion in this country. These have been made in the states.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah intervened, stating that the dispute primarily revolves around the fact that individuals dissatisfied with the tribunal's decision are not granted the right to challenge it in civil courts under the Waqf Act. The tribunal's decision is considered 99 percent valid. The owner of the land has no right to appeal.
Following this, Hussain alleged that the government is targeting Waqf land. He stated that the country has various religious sites and accused the government of attempting to incite riots.
UNI RBE SS