Lok Sabha Passes Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 After Heated Debate

New Delhi, April 2, 2025 – The Lok Sabha, India’s lower house of Parliament, passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 on Wednesday night, a landmark legislation aimed at reforming the management of Waqf properties across the country. The bill was approved with 288 votes in favor and 232 against, following a contentious debate that stretched over 12 hours, concluding past midnight on April 3, 2025.

Waqf, derived from an Arabic term meaning “to hold back” or “to dedicate,” refers to properties donated by Muslims for charitable, religious, or community purposes under Islamic law. Once designated as Waqf, such properties are held in perpetuity, with their income typically used to fund mosques, schools, hospitals, or aid for the poor. In India, Waqf boards manage an estimated 39 lakh acres of land, making them one of the largest landowners after the government and railways. However, mismanagement and disputes over these properties have long plagued the system, prompting calls for reform.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who tabled the bill, argued that the amendments would bring transparency and efficiency to Waqf administration. The legislation revises the Waqf Act of 1995, introducing measures to regulate how these properties are dedicated and disputes resolved. Key changes include requiring donors to be practicing Muslims for at least five years, allowing Muslim women and non-Muslims to serve on Waqf boards, and preventing government or public land from being claimed as Waqf property.

The debate in the Lok Sabha exposed deep divisions. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and supported by allies like the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)), defended the bill as a solution to decades of mismanagement. Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized that non-Muslim board members would focus solely on administrative oversight, not religious matters, and highlighted the rapid growth of Waqf holdings—18 lakh acres from 1913 to 2013, plus 21 lakh acres between 2013 and 2025.

Opposition leaders from the INDIA bloc, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party MP Mohibullah Nadvi, fiercely opposed the bill. Gandhi labeled it a “weapon to marginalize Muslims and seize their property rights,” while Nadvi warned of nationwide unrest, claiming it violated constitutional norms. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra called it a “dark day for India’s secular democracy.”

The bill’s journey began in 2024 when it was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) chaired by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal. The JPC’s 655-page report, submitted on February 13, 2025, and approved by the Cabinet on February 19, faced criticism from opposition members who alleged their dissent was suppressed. With the NDA’s 293 seats in the Lok Sabha securing its passage, the bill now heads to the Rajya Sabha, where the coalition’s 126 members are expected to ensure approval on April 3, 2025.

Reactions remain polarized. Supporters like Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde hailed it as “revolutionary” for poor Muslims, while critics, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, vowed legal challenges, branding it “discriminatory.” As India watches the Rajya Sabha’s next move, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 continues to stir debate over governance, religion, and the legacy of Waqf—a centuries-old tradition of charity now at a crossroads.