"All show, no substance": Uddhav Thackeray opposes Waqf Amendment Bill

Standing firm on his opposition to the Waqf Amendment Bill, which passed in Lok Sabha yesterday, Thackeray acknowledged that a few rectifications were "good". However, he added, the BJP was all show and no substance since they repealed Article 370 and didn't manage to get Kashmiri Pandits their lands.

"There are some corrections (for the Waqf board) in the Waqf amendment bill, which are good. However, the experience with the BJP till now is that yanche dakhwayeche daant ani khayeche daant vegde ahe (all show, no substance) ...We supported them during the repeal of Article 370...But I want to ask, did the Kashmiri Pandits get their land? We not only opposed the bill but also the hypocrisy and corruption of the BJP and its plans to give land to its businessmen friends," Thackeray, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, said during a press conference.

He took a dig at Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, "Just after the Eid government brought the Waqf Amendment bill and told everyone that this would be beneficial for poor Muslims and they would get many things from it, this was said by Amit Shah and all his allies. Unexpectedly, Kiren Rijiju tabled this bill yesterday,... Thackeray said.

Earlier today, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali said that if the Rajya Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, they will challenge it in court.

"If this bill is passed in Rajya Sabha, we will challenge it in court. We are confident that we will get justice and relief in this matter based on constitutional facts," Maulana Mahali told ANI.

Meanwhile, Rijiju on Thursday moved a motion for consideration of 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 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.

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.

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.

"All these recommendations given earlier have been incorporated in the newly amended bill. These committees were under UPA and Congress. Thus, I appeal to Congress party and its allies to support Waqf Amendment Bill 2025," he said.

Earlier, 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)