Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday lauded the Joint Parliamentary Committee’s (JPC) extensive consultations on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, stating that such wide-ranging discussions had never been held before in India’s parliamentary history.
Moving the bill for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha, Rijiju dismissed allegations that the legislation aimed at “snatching” property, assuring that it would not be implemented with retrospective effect. He also introduced the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024 for passage.
“The discussions in the Joint Parliamentary Committee on this bill have been the most extensive in India’s parliamentary history. I thank and congratulate all committee members. A total of 284 delegations from different communities, as well as Waqf boards from 25 states and union territories, have submitted their views. We also received 97.27 lakh petitions regarding this bill,” Rijiju stated.
Rejecting the opposition’s claim that the bill was unconstitutional, Rijiju emphasized that the Centre had not assumed any additional powers through the amendments.
However, Congress MP KC Venugopal accused the BJP-led government of rushing the bill through Parliament, stating that opposition members were not given adequate time to move amendments.
“You are bulldozing the legislation. There is no time for amendments,” Venugopal protested in the House.
Despite opposition concerns, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla assured that equal consideration had been given to both government and opposition amendments.
Home Minister Amit Shah also defended the process, reminding the opposition that it was they who had demanded a JPC in the first place.
“During Congress rule, committees were merely rubber stamps. Our committee discusses, deliberates, and makes changes based on thorough discussions. If amendments are to be rejected outright, then what’s the point of having a committee?” Shah remarked.
Originally presented in August last year, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was examined by a JPC chaired by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal.
The bill seeks to amend the Waqf Act of 1995 to improve the administration and management of Waqf properties. Key provisions aim to overcome past shortcomings, enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, streamline the registration process, and integrate technology into Waqf record management.
With the opposition and ruling party deeply divided over the bill, its passage is expected to spark further heated debates in Parliament.
