Waqf (Amendment) Bill Not In This Session, Postponed: Report
New Delhi: Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Development Alliance (NDA)’s ambitious political move, will not be taken up for business in this Parliament session, according to reports. This Amendment Bill, which aims to ensure the efficient management of Waqf properties, will now be taken in the Parliament in 2025. The controversial bill has already caused discontent among the Muslim organisations who are arguing that the BJP-led NDA government is trying to take over the Waqf properties using the provisions in the new bill.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, introduced in the Lok Sabha, as per the government, aim to reform waqf management in India by addressing inefficiencies and outdated regulations.
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The amendment bill is all set to revise the Waqf Act, 1995, by renaming it, updating definitions, and modernising processes like registration and record management through technology. It, as per the government, also removes contentious provisions, such as waqf by user, and introduces safeguards against misuse of waqf-alal-aulad to protect inheritance rights. Survey responsibilities are shifted to Collectors, while state governments gain nomination powers for Waqf Board members, ensuring diverse representation.
The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, the government claims, eliminates the outdated Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923, ensuring streamlined administration under a unified law. Waqf properties, endowed for religious or charitable purposes under Islamic law, are irrevocable and face issues like encroachments, mismanagement, and inadequate income.
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Despite their significant scale, with over 8.7 lakh properties valued at ₹1.2 lakh crore, the administration is riddled with inefficiencies, the government claims while adding that tribunals, lacking judicial oversight, face criticism for delays and opaque decisions. The Sachar Committee and Joint Parliamentary Committee have highlighted these challenges, recommending digitisation, enhanced accountability, and structural reforms.
Government and the officials put forward high-profile disputes, such as claims over public properties and entire villages, underscore the urgent need for reform. It also argues that steps like including non-Muslim members in waqf institutions and centralizing survey and dispute mechanisms aim to promote transparency and inclusivity.
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The amended act’s provisions also emphasise equitable representation, efficient property utilisation, and revenue generation to support social development, the government said.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) national president and Lok Sabha member Asaduddin Owaisi, an ardent critic of the Bill, had stated earlier that if the Centre’s Waqf Amendment Bill becomes law, all waqf properties belonging to Muslims will be taken over by the government. He alleged that the option of ‘Waqf by user’ would be abolished by the new amendment, leading to the government seizing madrasas, graveyards, and dargahs that lack proper documentation.
“Now, (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi will make the rules for the Waqf. The new rules say that if the Waqf board needs to take action against anyone, they will have to ask Narendra Modi,” Owaisi said in a video shared on his social media handles in September this year.
On August 8, after BJP allies TDP and LJP demanded parliamentary review of the Waqf Amendment Bill, the government sent the bill to the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to review the provisions.
