Voting underway on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 in Rajya Sabha

Earlier, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the opposition parties of trying to mislead people on the Waqf Amendment Bill and said it will benefit crores of people from the Muslim community.

Replying to the over 12-hour-long debate on the bill in Rajya Sabha, Rijiju said several suggestions made by the Joint Parliamentary Committee had been incorporated in the revised bill.

"When the Waqf Amendment Bill was first drafted and the bill that we are passing now, there are a lot of changes. The bill would have been completely different if we had not accepted anyone's suggestions," he said.

He said the BJP-led government was not scaring anyone and accused the opposition parties of trying to create a scare among members of the minority community.

"You are trying to create a scare and trying to take (them) away from the mainstream. Do not mislead in the future..it (the bill) will benefit crores of Muslims," he said.

Rijiju said once a property is declared a Waqf property, its status cannot be changed and this has to be done by following the due process.

Rijiju said that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, will be renamed as the UMEED (Unified Waqf Management Empowerment Efficiency and Development) Bill.

Lok Sabha, which took up discussion on the Waqf (Amendment Bill) on Wednesday, passed it past midnight after a marathon debate.

Meanwhile, Chairperson CPP and Congress MP Sonia Gandhi also arrived at the Parliament as the debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill.

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.

The Bill 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.

Parties of the INDIA bloc have opposed the bill. The marathon debate in Rajya Sabha saw several clashes between opposition members and treasury benches. (ANI)