Key Points
Parliament passes controversial Waqf Amendment Bill in heated midnight session
Opposition threatens legal challenge against legislation
Bill aims to reform Waqf property management system
Renamed as UMEED Bill with technological improvements
"They have misused the majority and the bill has been imposed. If the bill is challenged, there is a big chance that the judiciary will declare it unconstitutional," Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.
DMK MP M M Abdulla said that it is a "black day" for democracy and for the minorities.
"We have shown our solidarity and our strength. The Chief Minister (MK Stalin) has already announced that he will move this to the court," Abdulla said.
SP MP Ramji Lal Suman said, "The bill has been passed as the government had the numbers...Their intention is not right..."
The Parliament passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 in the early hours of Friday after a marathon and heated debate.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said, "Ayes 128 and Noes 95, Absent zero. The Bill is passed."
The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024' has also been passed in the Parliament. The House sat beyond midnight to pass the legislation.
Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the opposition parties of trying to mislead people on the Waqf Amendment Bill and said it will benefit crores of people from the Muslim community.
Replying to the over 12-hour-long debate on the bill in Rajya Sabha, Rijiju said several suggestions made by the Joint Parliamentary Committee had been incorporated in the revised bill.
Lok Sabha, which took up discussion on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday, passed it past midnight after a marathon debate.
Rijiju said that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, will be renamed as the UMEED (Unified Waqf Management Empowerment Efficiency and Development) Bill.
The government introduced the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation introduced in August last year. The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India.
The Bill aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records.
