New Delhi: The controversial Wakf (Amendment) Bill is expected to be introduced in the Lok Sabha in the next coming week and informed sources say the government is also planning to clear the bill after the Ramazan festival. However, this Bill is expected to invite another round of confrontation between government and the opposition as both are firm on their stands since majority of opposition parties have opposed the legislation.
The government sources maintain that the proposed amendments introduce a series of changes designed to modernise the Wakf system. Among the key provisions are stricter regulations governing the registration and monitoring of Wakf properties. However, the Opposition led by the Congress Party, the Trinamul Congress Party (TMC), the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK), the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Left parties among others are opposing the amendments on the ground that the proposed legislation will pave the way for “usurping” of Wakf properties and it is a direct attack on Muslims. Given the Bihar Assembly elections later this year, tremendous pressure is being mounted on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to oppose the Bill.
Senior Congress leader and former union minority affairs minister Salman Khurshid claimed that the Bill is not Constitutionally valid. He said that the suggestions made to the JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) on the Bill were rejected. Trinamul Congress MPs who opposed the Bill maintain that the government does not want to resolve any issue but just wants to create a divide in society.
It may be noted that the Union Cabinet has approved the proposed amendments to the Wakf (Amendment) Bill incorporating the changes recently recommended by the Parliamentary panel, paving the way for it to be tabled for discussion and passage. It may be recalled that the Bill was referred to the JPC in August 2024 after it was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Minority Affairs Minister Kiran Rijiju.
The JPC under the chairmanship of Jagadambika Pal, adopted the report with a majority vote while all 11 MPs from opposition parties in the JPC had objected to the report. They had also moved dissent notes. The 655-page JPC report was submitted to both the Houses of Parliament earlier in March 2025. The Committee, while doing away with the “Wakf by User” provision, going forward, has allowed only existing “Registered Wakf by User” to be recognised as Wakf. This will exclude the cases where the properties are under dispute or owned by the government.
As per the JPC report, the panel has supported the inclusion of non-Muslims in Wakf boards, which can go up to four and recommended the transfer of dispute investigation authority from district collectors to senior state government appointees. The state Wakf boards will now include one member from the Muslim Other Backward Caste (OBC) community, ensuring broader representation.
Government sources indicated that despite strong protests from the Opposition, it would be tabled soon and pushed for passage after the Ramzan festival, scheduled for either the 30th or 31st of March, 2025.
Meanwhile, in the holy month of Ramzan, opposition party leaders appealing to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners like the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and the Lok Jantantrik Party (Ramvilas) that if they support the bill in Parliament, Muslims will never forgive them. AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi said that Wakf grants Muslims the same rights that other religions enjoy over their institutions. If every faith has the right to administer its affairs, why are Muslims being singled out?
In fact, state assemblies like Telangana and West Bengal, where Muslims constitute a major chunk, adopted resolutions against the Wakf Bill. At regular Iftaar parties in state capitals and other places pressure is being built on NDA leaders like Chandrababu Naidu, Nitish Kumar and Chirag Paswan by the Muslim clergy and leaders not to support the Bill.
It is being argued that the Wakf Bill attempts to take away Muslims’ mosques, dargahs and cemeteries. Bill is unconstitutional and it is not for saving, protecting or enhancing income from Wakf properties but for finishing Wakf properties. Opposition MPs are alleging that the government is indulging in divisive politics and if they force this bill based on a brute majority, there will be protests.
On the other hand, the NDA led by the BJP is safely placed in Lok Sabha as a simple majority requires 272 votes to pass any legislation. NDA has 293 of 543 seats. In Rajya Sabha also the NDA has got slender majority with its numbers figured at 125 out of the current total strength of 245. The NDA also expected to get the support of a few independents and other smaller groups.
In January 2025, JPC approved 14 Amendments proposed by the NDA members, with TDP and JDU backing the revised version, signalling their alignment with BJP’s agenda.
*Senior journalist
