Protest Erupts As Lok Sabha Passes Waqf Amendment Bill
New Delhi: After over 12 hours, the Lok Sabha passed the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, with 288 votes in favor and 232 against it. The session saw intense exchange between the government and opposition members.
In protest against the newly introduced bill, cadres of the Students Islamic Organization of India (SIO) and Solidarity Youth Movement took out a march to the All India Radio studio in Kerala‘s Kozhikode on Wednesday night. Police have detained at least 12 people for protesting against the Bill. In Ernakulam, another overnight demonstration was held against the bill by the Fraternity Movement, and several protesters have been detained. There have also been several isolated protests in different parts of the country against the contentious bill.
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Notably, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has called on citizens across the country to hit the streets and hold peaceful and democratic protests if the Bill is passed. The Board asserted that it would challenge the bill in court, underlining that the bill became more objectionable after its scrutiny by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
According to AIMPLB, the bill introduced last year by the ruling NDA government is an attempt to seize properties of the Muslim community, including dargahs, mosques and graveyards. Several other stakeholders, including the Indian Union Muslims League (IUML), have stated that they will fight the bill in the courts.
Read Also: Parliament Has No Authority To Make Law Regarding Waqf Property: TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee
However, tabling the alleged discriminatory bill in parliament, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday reaffirmed that the legislation does not interfere with Muslim religious practices but focuses solely on the management of Waqf properties, adding that the government’s intention was to make Waqf Boards more inclusive and secular.
Through the government claims the bill to be in the interest of Muslims, the bill has been taunted as against the interest of 20 crore Muslims in the country as it met with strong opposition from Muslim organizations and opposition parties.
