The Rajya Sabha has approved the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, following an intense debate that saw sharp exchanges between the ruling government and opposition parties. 128 members of the Rajya Sabha voted in favour of the bill while 95 voted against. This comes a day after the Lok Sabha passed the bill with 288 votes in favour and 232 against.

The bill, aimed at reforming the management of Waqf properties, introduces technology-driven systems to enhance transparency and efficiency. Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who tabled the bill, defended its provisions, asserting that it does not threaten Muslim religious practices but seeks to make Waqf Boards more inclusive.

“The Waqf Board is a statutory body. Why should only Muslims be included? If there are disputes involving non-Muslims, how will they be resolved?” Rijiju questioned, adding that while non-Muslim representation has been restricted, the Board should function in a secular manner.

Opposition parties strongly opposed the bill, with Congress MP Rajiv Shukla alleging that it was being forcefully pushed through by the ruling alliance, leading to dissent within NDA ranks. He cited the resignation of JD(U) leader Mohammed Kasim Ansari as evidence of internal discontent. Fellow Congress MP Pramod Tiwari accused the government of using the bill as a political tool, stating, “This is about polarisation and diverting attention from failures. If we return to power, we will repeal it.”

Read also: Exclusive | “Health Issue”: Sources On Priyanka Gandhi’s Absence During Waqf Bill Voting

Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the move, warning that it could create communal divisions. “You are sowing the seeds for disputes. Amendments have been made to the Constitution before—why not correct the errors in this bill? It is not good for Muslims and goes against the Constitution,” he argued. Kharge also questioned why the ruling party, which had previously accepted the 1995 Waqf Act through consensus, was now amending it with provisions that he claimed would “destroy people.”

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal echoed these sentiments, linking the bill to what he called a pattern of targeting Muslims. “Since 2014, their politics has been about Love Jihad, flood jihad, and now this. The original 1995 Act mandated at least two women in Waqf Boards, but this bill caps it at two. If they want reforms, let them amend the Hindu Code Bill instead,” he said.

Read also: DMK To Challenge Waqf Bill In Supreme Court; Stalin Wears Black Badge In Protest

Former Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda took a different stance, congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking steps to safeguard Waqf properties from being misappropriated. “The properties, worth ₹1.2 lakh crore, were given by donors, not the government. If vested interests have misused them, the Prime Minister is ensuring that the community’s donations are not swallowed by the powerful,” he stated.

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi framed the bill as a balancing act between religious and administrative interests. He claimed that while the bill represented “hope” for some, others were disappointed because it did not align with their ideological expectations. “We named this bill ‘UMEED’ (hope), but some dreamt of ‘UMAH’—a vision of an Islamic nation,” he remarked.

Read also: ‘Brazen Assault On Constitution’: Sonia Gandhi On Waqf Bill

The bill has also faced backlash from AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi in the Lok Sabha, who argued that it undermines Muslim rights and violates Article 26 of the Constitution. He pointed out that the amendments safeguard ancient temples but do not extend similar protections to mosques.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah dismissed allegations in the Lok Sabha that the bill was an attack on Muslims, accusing the opposition of spreading fear for political mileage. “The opposition is misleading people by claiming that this bill interferes with religious affairs and donated properties. That is completely false,” he asserted.

Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi addressed her strong opposition to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

The bill is “brazen assault” on the constitution, she said, adding that it was part of the BJP’s strategy to keep society in a state of “permanent polarisation”. Congress leader said that the bill was “bulldozed” through the Lok Sabha.

With its passage in both houses, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is set to become law, further intensifying political discourse on religious and property rights in India.