Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 Highlights: Parliament passes Waqf Bill after heated debate in Rajya Sabha

Union Minister Amit Shah interrupted Naseer Hussain’s speech about the Waqf Tribunal. Mallikarjun Kharge asked the Deputy Chairman to allow the Congress MP to speak without interruptions.

While presenting the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Kiren Rijiju said that it aims to include all Muslim sects in the Waqf board. He further informed that in 2004, there were 4.9 lakh Waqf properties. However, it has now increased to 8.72 lakh.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath strongly criticised the Waqf Board on Thursday, accusing it of taking control of land that didn’t belong to it. He stated that the Board’s “unfair claims” over public and historical sites would no longer be accepted. Speaking at an event in Prayagraj, Adityanath said the Waqf Board had made false claims about land across cities. He pointed out that even during the Kumbh Mela preparations, the Board claimed the land for itself. He questioned whether the Waqf Board had become a “land mafia.” Adityanath highlighted that his government had removed such land encroachments and driven out criminal groups from Uttar Pradesh.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, while presenting the Waqf Amendment Bill, Kiren Rijiju said that it will be renamed as UMEED – Unified Waqf Management Empowerment Efficiency and Development Bill.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray criticised the BJP and its allies for their actions during the debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill, saying their “concern” would even make Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, feel embarrassed. Thackeray’s party opposed the BJP’s stance on the bill, claiming it was a strategy to take land and hand it over to industrialists. Speaking at a press conference after the Lok Sabha passed the bill, Thackeray, who was once allied with the BJP, remarked that despite the BJP securing a third term at the Centre and the country’s progress, the party continues to stir up issues related to Hindu-Muslim relations. He also challenged the BJP to remove the green color from its flag if it truly had an issue with Muslims.

While presenting the Bill in Rajya Sabha, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju asked Congress to lend its support for the Bill. Rijiju appealed to Congress and other parties to back the bill. He began the debate on behalf of the government, explaining that discussions were held with state governments, minority commissions, and Waqf boards before bringing the bill to Parliament. He mentioned that a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was formed, with representatives from both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, and that although some people had doubts about the consultations, the bill was successfully passed in the Lok Sabha after extensive discussions.

While speaking on the Bill, Kiran Rijiju highlighted the income generated by Waqf properties.

CPI(M) leader Subhashini Ali criticised the BJP on Thursday, accusing them of pushing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill to stir up division ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. Ali questioned why the government was focused on this Bill when more urgent issues, like farmers’ Minimum Support Price (MSP), still needed attention. She suggested that the BJP was eager to pass the Bill because they believed it would help them with political polarisation before the upcoming elections, particularly in Bihar.

JP Nadda is expected to speak on the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha shortly. The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, and is going to be debated over in the Upper House today.

The residents of Munambam, who had been protesting with a relay hunger strike for 173 days against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, celebrated on Thursday after the Lok Sabha passed it. The protesters cheered and chanted slogans like “Narendra Modi Zindabad,” expressing optimism that the new law would resolve their issue.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh has slammed the Waqf Amendment Bill on Thursday, saying that it goes against the Constitution of India. He added that it was introduced to create division in the country and that his party will continue to oppose the bill. Union Minister JP Nadda is set to present the bill in the Rajya Sabha, where it will be debated around 1 pm.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill has sparked strong opposition from Muslim organisations and other opposition leaders as they believe that the amendment undermines the autonomy of Waqf properties and threatens religious rights. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has expressed his strong opposition towards the bill and dismissed the legislation as a “Waqf Barbaad Bill”, while highlighting that it violates constitutional provisions. Critics claim the amendments pave the way for land seizures and interfere with Muslim religious affairs, while the government maintains that the Bill aims to bring necessary reforms.

DMK MP Kanimozhi expressed disappointment on Thursday over the news of Lok Sabha passing the Waqf Amendment Bill, news agency ANI reported. Kanimozhi said it was “very sad” that a bill harmful to the country’s minorities was approved. She also criticised the short amount of time given to discuss the Manipur issue, calling it a “burning issue” that only received half an hour of debate.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla praised the passing of the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, calling it a victory for social justice and good governance after more than 13 hours of debate. At the same time, Congress MPs strongly opposed the bill, arguing that its timing and purpose were a tactic by the ruling government to distract from the announcement of US tariffs.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge gave a dramatic rebuttal in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday rejecting BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s accusation that he had grabbed Waqf land. Borrowing a dialogue from the film ‘Pushpa’, Kharge said, “Jhukunga nahi!”

Thakur had made the claim during the debate on the Waqf Bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The senior Congress leader fiercely denied the accusation, calling it false, and demanded an apology. He also made it clear that he would not back down to political pressure.

National president of the All-India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, hailed Lok Sabha’s decision was passing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, on Thursday. Barelvi expressed hope that the Bill would provide significant economic relief to disadvantaged Muslims. He thanked the LS members who supported the Bill and congratulated the Indian government for taking this important step. Razvi also mentioned that the amendments would help address issues with the management of Waqf properties, which he claimed had been misused by individuals who have been working with land mafias.

Union Minister JP Nadda and BJP National President will be addressing the Rajya Sabha on Thursday at around 1:00 pm regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025. The Lok Sabha held a 12-hour debate on the issue, post which it was passed with 288 in favour of the Bill.

As the Question Hour in Lok Sabha began, so did the sloganeering from the Opposition. There has been a lot of debate over the passing of Waqf Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. While the government is in favour of the Bill, Opposition has been trying its best to enlist all pointers on why it is not good for India.

Both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha sessions have resumed for the day. After a chaotic session over passing of the Waqf Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the discussion will be continued in the Rajya Sabha today.

Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), on Thursday said that if the Rajya Sabha approves the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, they will challenge it in court, said ANI. He expressed confidence that they would receive justice based on constitutional principles in the courts. Mahali also mentioned that the Janata Dal (United) party, led by Nitish Kumar, and the Telugu Desam Party, led by Chandrababu Naidu, are expected to oppose the bill since the Muslim community supports these parties in their states.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin on Thursday said that DMK is set to move to the Supreme Court over the passing of Waqf Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha. Further details are awaited.

Ahead of the Rajya Sabha session today, Congress‘ Sonia Gandhi said that the bill is a brazen assault on the Constitution. She added that it’s a part of BJP‘s strategy to keep society in “state of permanent polarisation”.

BJP Kerala unit president Rajeev Chandrasekhar praised the Lok Sabha’s approval of the Waqf Amendment Bill, calling it a significant step toward protecting property rights for all citizens, including those in Munambam. In a Facebook post, he slammed the Waqf system, which he claimed had been shaped over the years by Congress governments focused on appeasement politics. According to Chandrasekhar, this system had violated constitutional rights and denied individuals their rightful property ownership. He further stated that the amendment would restore fairness, safeguard property rights, and provide much-needed relief to affected people across the country.

After triggering much debate and chaos in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the Waqf Amendment Bill is set to be presented in the Rajya Sabha today. Keep watching this space for our live coverage on the same.