The Waqf Bill was prone to protests like CAA after passing in Parliament, political stir intensifies
The political agenda was clear for a long time. The picture became even more clear in both houses of Parliament. The Waqf Amendment Bill was passed by 288 vs. 232 votes in 2025 Lok Sabha and 128 vs 97 votes in Rajya Sabha. The difference is narrow and till the last time, the views of political ‘micro management’ were also seen. In the Rajya Sabha of Biju Janata Dal (BJD), who voted against the Lok Sabha, five out of seven members cast their votes, but the members of the Annadramuk, Tamil Nadu, remained in protest while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), his state president to coordinate it while introducing the bill. Annamalla is ready to remove. Similarly, the head of NDA’s ally Telugu Desam, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Jayant Chaudhary of RLD and LJP’s Chirag Paswan, who were involved in the Union Cabinet, had made statements of not allowing Muslims a few days ago. Chirag had described Waqf as a ‘useless issue’ in a TV conversation. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s party JDU was giving similar indications in a slightly slow voice, but Rajiv Ranjan alias Lallan Singh of JDU was seen in support of the bill in the Lok Sabha.
These BJP allies in the NDA are still assuring their Muslim supporters by saying that this law will benefit Pasmanda (backward) and women and better management of Waqf properties will provide more money for the development of the community. The same argument was also introduced by Minority Development Minister Kiran Rijiju and the Bill was also named ‘Unified Waqf Management, Employment, Affidency and Development Act’ or ‘hope’ in code letters. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav asked, “Where is its ability to be expected.” This also clears the intention of manipulations. ”
Kiran Rijiju in Parliament
Rijiju and Union Home Minister Amit Shah argued that it had nothing to do with religious matters, but Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader in the Congress Lok Sabha, said, “Why did it be needed, as the 2013 amendment has been given 80-85 percent. It is only a matter of managing the land in their own hands, so that they can be used to give their industrialists to friends and tell Muslims of secondary status. ”The opposition alleged that the objective was to occupy the land of religious donations of a community and then other communities first. A few days later, an article on the website of the Union’s mouthpiece organizer accelerated that more than the Waqf is in the possession of the church and the Christian missionaries. Immediately Congress leader Rahul Gandhi posted on X, “There is a target of Muslims right now, will be targeted on Christians, Sikhs, tribals.” If the Catholic Church and others also responded, that article was removed from the Organizer’s website.
On the other hand, the Waqf Amendment was also approved by the President and before that several petitions to challenge his constitutionalism also reached the court. “This violates the constitutional guarantee of religious autonomy and freedom under Articles 25 and 26,” says Abhishek Manu Singhvi of the Congress. Therefore it cannot survive in judicial review. It is also a violation of the right to equality under Article 19 and an attack on the basic spirit of the Constitution. “Protests have also begun across the country and the Muslim organizations are also talking about constant protests like the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAA). At least the voices of strict action are being raised on protesting against the BJP ruled states. In Mumbai, Shinde Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Anupam even said that everyone should follow the law of the country, otherwise situations like Jallianwala Bagh can arise. In Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, an FIR was lodged against 300 people who read the Namaz by tying a black bandage.
Dispute: Demonstration against Waqf Amendment in Bangalore
In Bihar, resignations from JDU, LJP have started. Gaus Muhammad, a member of the Legislative Council, close to Nitish, reached the house of Lalu Yadav of RJD on the eve of the Bill being introduced in the Lok Sabha. Similarly, revolt is also rising in RLD of Jayant Chaudhary in western Uttar Pradesh. Voices are also emerging against Telugu Desam in Andhra. All these parties have had good support among Muslims and have been getting a lot of votes. In Bihar, JDU has been getting votes of Pasmanda Muslims and women, especially. The Pasmanda classification was also started by Nitish Kumar in Bihar under the leadership of Ali Anwar to make a dent in Lalu Yadav’s Musalim-Yaadav (MY) equation. Now Ali Anwar is in the Congress and says, “Pasmanda’s papers will no longer work. Those who were killed in lynching, whose houses were dropped from bulldozers, are only 95 percent passmanda.
Similarly, RLD’s equation is also Jat and Muslims. Prior to this, Jayant wrote the decree not to offer Namaz on roads and roofs, “1984 (famous novel against dictatorship), but now he may have difficult to handle his vote equation. In Andhra, the Telugu Desam’s difference of vote from VIRCP is less than four percent, while the state has almost the same Muslim population. VIRCP voted in protest. Therefore, the question is also arising as to what the BJP wants to practice with this bill. There are some speculations that one of its objectives can weaken the colleagues and expand their Hindutva basis.
Well, the Waqf (Amendment) Act will basically change the decades -old system of the Islamic Waqf (Donation in the name of Allah or religion) in the country. Under the earlier arrangement, the Waqf Board has been taking care of these property in the states. Every board consists of the government nominated individuals, Muslim MLAs, members of the Bar Council, Islamic scholar and Muttawali (manager). The Central Waqf Council established in 1964 monitors the national level. In the new system, the structure of the Waqf Board will change to a great extent. Now two non-Muslim members will be in the Waqf boards of the central and states. Then, various Muslim communities including Shia, Sunni, Pasmanda, Bohra and Agakhani will also be represented. In addition, it is necessary to have at least two Muslim women in each board.
The right to decide whether a property is of the Waqf or not will now be of the District Collector or above the government official in lieu of the Waqf Board. Under Section 40 of the 1995 Act, the Waqf Board had the right to decide, provided the matter does not go to the Waqf Tribunal. The victim could challenge the board’s decision in the tribunal, but now the challenge can also be given in the courts.
The discount from the Limitation Act to the Waqf Board has also been abolished. Earlier, the first board could withdraw the encroached properties regardless of the end of the time, but now it would have to claim within a period of 12 years. This can benefit those who have encroached for a long time. Waqf institutions receive 7 per cent annually to the board, which has been reduced to 5 per cent. Institutions that have earned more than Rs 1 lakh annually will now have to be audited by the auditor appointed by the state government. In this law, trusts made by Muslims have been separated from the definition of Waqf. The amendment has made special provisions for women-widows, divorced women and priests and the heritage has been strengthened in family Waqf systems. There is also a deadline for digitization in this law- all Waqf properties are to be registered on a central portal within six months. Obviously, this will open a box of challenges with complex or incomplete documents. AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi indicates this, “About 70-80 percent of the Waqf Documents of the property may not be available, which will be disputed.”
Jayant Chaudhary, Nitish Kumar, Chirag Paswan, Chandrababu Naidu
Such signs have also started getting. Many states including Gujarat and Uttarakhand have not even started a survey of Waqf properties. Other states like Uttar Pradesh have half-incomplete records even after years of survey order. This is also a big reason that Muslim organizations protested strongly and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) sent more than 5 crore emails to the committee. Their original concern is to end the recognition of property without formal documents in the law for a long time. Many historical religious places have no formal papers and are according to the recognition of the community and the customs of generations. The new law is talked about implementing the further date, but many people are afraid that many claims may arise on properties that do not have documents.
Critics are concerned why similar religious diversity is not compulsory in the administration of Hindu temples. Owaisi asks, “If a non-Hindu cannot become a member of a Hindu Dharmada Board, then why are you bringing non-Muslims here on the board?” This bill was also tried to bring in the last session but perhaps the opposition of allies was handed over to the Joint Parliamentary Committee. At that time, the committee headed by Jagdambika Pal rejected all the amendments of the opposition.
Whatever it is, now you have to see, what is the turn ahead. Its view will be seen in the Bihar elections to be held later this year.
What changed in the wakef
Now two non-Muslim members will be on both central and state Waqf Board and will also be reproduced for various Muslim communities.
Every board will have at least two Muslim women
Waqf will be able to do only the one who follows the free Islamic tradition
The right to decide the Waqf property will be of the District Collector or the government official above it
In the event of a dispute between the claims of the government and the Waqf, the property will be considered government until the designated officers decide.
No specialist of Islamic law in Waqf Tribunals; Instead, it will have a chairman of the district court as a chairman and a joint secretary of the state.
An appeal can be made in the High Court within 90 days against the decisions of the Arbitration
The compulsory annual contribution received by the boards from Waqf institutions will decrease from 7 per cent to 5 per cent
Institutions with an annual income of more than one lakh rupees will now be audited by the auditor of the state government.
