New Delhi: Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha for consideration and passage.
The bill aims to improve the administration of Waqf properties, integrate technology-driven management, and enhance transparency, says Kiran Rijiju as per news agency JKNS.
Rijiju said that the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) conducted the most extensive consultation process in India’s parliamentary history.
The committee received over 9.7 million petitions and memorandums, while 284 delegations, including Waqf boards from 25 states and Union Territories, legal experts, and religious leaders, submitted their opinions before the final report was prepared, he said.
Amid protests from the opposition, Rijiju dismissed claims that the bill would lead to the seizure of mosques and graveyards. “A false narrative is being spread that land belonging to mosques and graveyards will be taken away. Let me make it clear—this law is not meant to seize anyone’s land,” he said.
Rijiju said that the bill strictly pertains to property administration and does not infringe upon religious sites.
The bill introduces several significant changes, including ensuring that Muslim trusts formed under any law will no longer be considered Waqf, requiring that only practising Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate property to Waqf, and mandating that women receive their inheritance before Waqf declaration. Additionally, an officer above the rank of collector will now investigate government properties claimed as Waqf, replacing the existing Waqf tribunals with senior government officials for dispute resolution.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the bill was tabled after a long and thorough consultation process, which was approved by the Union Cabinet. However, opposition parties, including the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party, strongly opposed the bill, calling it an attack on Muslim institutions. Speaker Om Birla rejected the opposition’s objections, stating that the government has the authority to amend the law. (JKNS)
