Lok Sabha Passes Waqf Amendment Bill, Rejects Amendments Proposed by Opposition
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Crores of poor Muslims will thank PM Modi for the bill being passed."
Lok Sabha Passes Waqf Amendment Bill, Rejects Amendments Proposed by Opposition, Latest News: The Lok Sabha passed the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 on Thursday after a 12-hour-long debate, which the opposition strongly opposed.
The bill was passed after the amendments proposed by the opposition were rejected.
Speaker Om Birla asked whether the bill, listed as item no. 12 in the day's business, should be taken up for consideration in the House. Before the voting, he directed that the lobbies be cleared—a standard parliamentary procedure ensuring that only eligible members remain inside to prevent unauthorized influence.
The Speaker then called for a division vote and later announced the result: Ayes 288, Noes 232. Since the majority supported the proposal, the bill was officially taken up for consideration.
During the discussion, opposition members demanded a division vote on certain amendments. One such amendment was put to vote, with 231 members supporting it and 238 opposing it. Since the majority voted against it, the amendment was negatived.
After the bill was passed, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Crores of poor Muslims will thank PM Modi for the bill being passed."
ANI further quoted him saying, "I want to thank all the leaders for expressing their views on the Bill. Some leaders claim that the bill is unconstitutional. If it were unconstitutional, why didn’t the court strike it down? Words like 'unconstitutional' should not be used so lightly."
ANI also quoted Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the inclusion of non-Muslim members in Waqf Boards.
He clarified, saying "No non-Muslim member will be involved in the Waqf Board’s religious activities. Any person, regardless of religion, can be appointed as a Charity Commissioner, who will ensure that the board functions according to charity laws. This is an administrative role, not a religious one."
The Waqf Amendment Bill, initially scheduled for an eight-hour discussion on Wednesday, proposes 40 amendments to the Waqf Act, 1995. It also renames the Act as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act, 1995.
Currently, Waqf Boards manage 8.7 lakh properties spanning 9.4 lakh acres across the country, making them India’s third-largest landowners after the Armed Forces and Indian Railways, according to a Hindustan Times report.
Both the BJP-led NDA and the INDIA Bloc opposition had issued whips to ensure the presence of their MPs during the vote.
On Tuesday, the INDIA Bloc held a meeting and confirmed its decision to oppose the bill. Congress leader K.C. Venugopal told ANI, "We are going to oppose this bill. This decision was made unanimously by the INDIA Bloc, and we urge other like-minded parties to vote against it."