"Will go to the court; protest...": ASP chief Chandra Shekhar Azad on Waqf Amendment Bill

In a veiled attack on JDU and TDP, Azad said that the parties which had previously talked about the Muslim reservation and their welfare is the same

"Yesterday, the parties that use to talk about Muslim reservations and talk about bringing Muslims to the mainstream - the same parties betrayed Muslims and supported the bill... They are exposed now... We will go to the court and will be on the road to protest..." he said.

Meanwhile, Union Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju moved a motion to consider the Waqf (Amendment) Bill of 2025 and the Musalmaan Wakf (Repeal) Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

While addressing the upper house of Parliament, Rijiju cited the Sachar committee report, which recommended that the central Waqf council and state Waqf board be broadened to make them inclusive. He apprised the house about the number of Waqf properties, saying that the Sachar committee estimated the earnings from 4.9 lakh properties at Rs 12,000 in 2006.

"As of today, there are 8.72 lakh Waqf properties. In 2006, if the Sachar committee had estimated the earnings from 4.9 lakh Waqf properties at Rs 12,000 crore, then you can imagine the income these properties must be generating now. The Sachar committee also recommended that the central Waqf council and state Waqf board should be broadened to make them inclusive. The committee also recommended specific steps to be taken for the (benefit) of women and children," Rijiju said.

The minister invoked the recommendations of the previous Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) headed by senior Congress leader K Rahman Khan, which pointed out several issues with the Waqf board that needed rectification, including the betterment of the infrastructure of the board.

"A joint parliamentary committee under the leadership of K Rahman Khan, who served as a minority affairs minister, raised the issue regarding infrastructure (of Waqf) while pointing out the fewer manpower and funds. He said that the entire thing is focused on appointing or removing the Mutawalli," he added.

Appealing to Congress and allies to support the Waqf Amendment Bill, Rijiju said that all the recommendations given by previous committees have been incorporated into the newly amended bill.

The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 after a marathon and heated debate in the early hours of Thursday. During this debate, members of the INDIA bloc fiercely opposed the legislation, while the BJP and its allies strongly supported it, saying it would bring transparency and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards.

The House sat beyond midnight to pass the legislation. Speaker Om Birla later announced the division's result. "Subject to correction, Ayes 288, Noes 232. The majority is in favour of the proposal," he said.

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.

It 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. (ANI)