New Delhi: Following Lok Sabha passage earlier, the Rajya Sabha cleared the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. In a Thursday late-night voting session including 13 members not voting, the Waqf Bill got 128 votes and 95 against it. The government has 125 MPs; the opposition has 88; 23 MPs are non-aligned parties. Four members of AIADMK voted against the measure; the BJD and YSRCP did not whip their members. Fascinatingly, MPs included NCP’s Sharad Pawar, JMM’s Shibu Soren, AAP’s Sanjeev Arora and Harbhajan Singh, and a BJD MP did not vote.
The Rajya Sabha considered the measure for about thirteen hours before sanction. Following approval by both sides of Parliament, the President is to approve the Act. The act will become law if the president certifies it. Along with a comprehensive debate spanning up to 12 hours, 288 Lok Sabha MPs approved the measure to be passed with 232 abstentions.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the measure in the Rajya Sabha by stating it is necessary for the modern era and assures responsibility and openness. He underlined again that the measure was intended for good and is not against any faith.
Once the measure passed both chambers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that for decades the Waqf system had been opaque, which affected the interests of Muslim women, impoverished Muslims, and underprivileged sectors. He said, furthermore, that this new law would protect people’s rights and provide more openness. A major turning point in social and economic fairness, the Waqf Bill gives the underprivileged room and chances.