Kharge Blasts Govt Over Controversial Waqf Amendment Bill 2025

New Delhi [India], April 4 (ANI): Rajya Sabha Head of the Opposition and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge On Friday criticized the Union government following the passage of legislation by the Parliament. Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 and mentioned that the government has adopted a "negative stance."

"They presented their interpretation, whereas we maintained our stance on the bill before them (the government). They adopted a negative position and are moving ahead with it," Kharge stated to journalists.

Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan stated that it is "regrettable" that the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 has been passed.

"The bill is not in the best interests of the nation, constitution...The intention with which they have made amendments to the waqf amendment bill shows that they are not helping. They are just targeting a particular community...The bill is not right," Ranjan added.

Congress MP Rajiv Shukla said that the bill has been passed as the ruling party had the numbers.

"The bill has been passed as the ruling party had the numbers but the opposition also kept its views and there was discussion on the bill," Shukla said.

Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh said, "In the JPC , several members opposed the bill, but their concerns were overridden as the legislation was passed anyway. "The NDA government will lose power in Bihar," Singh stated.

DMK member of parliament T Siva stated, "The Treasury benches secured 127 votes whereas we received 95... We do not perceive this as a setback..."

TMC Member Parliament Sagarika Ghose stated that this is a sorrowful day for the Republic of India as an overtly unconstitutional bill such as the Waqf Amendment Bill has been approved today.

This is indeed a sorrowful day for the Republic of India as the Waqf Amendment Bill, an overtly anti-constitutional piece of legislation, has now been approved. It significantly undermines individuals' rights to freely practice their religions. It’s disheartening that this unconstitutional measure was railroaded through Parliament by the BJP. India should not operate via force and coercion; rather, unity among citizens and building collective agreement must guide our governance. Such heavy-handed approaches will never successfully manage India, making this another somber moment due to the passage of this inappropriate bill,” stated Ghose.

The Parliament passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 in the early hours of Friday after a marathon and heated debate.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said, "Ayes 128 and Noes 95, Absent zero. The Bill is passed."

The House sat beyond midnight to pass the legislation.

The Union Minorities Affairs Minister, Kiren Rijiju, charged that opposition parties were attempting to deceive the public regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill, asserting instead that it would advantage millions of individuals within the Muslim community.

Responding to the more than 12 hours of discussion on the legislation Rajya Sabha Rijiju mentioned that numerous proposals put forward by the Joint Parliamentary Committee have been included in the amended legislation.

Rijiju mentioned that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, will now be known as the UMEED (Unified Waqf Management Empowerment Efficiency and Development) Bill.

The Lok Sabha discussed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday and managed to pass it just before midnight following an extensive debate session.

After taking into account the suggestions from the Joint Parliamentary Committee that reviewed the law presented in August of the previous year, the government put forward an updated version of the bill. This new bill aims to revise the 1995 Act with the intention of enhancing the governance and oversight of waqf properties within India.

This legislation seeks to address the deficiencies of the prior act and boost the effectiveness of Waqf boards by refining the registration procedures and amplifying the use of technology in handling waqf documentation. (ANI)

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