New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill late on Thursday evening with 128 votes for and 95 against. This bill is now on the brink of being enacted as a law. The president will receive it and sign it into law. Previously, the government had tabled the bill in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, where, following close to 12 hours of discussion, it was passed with 288 votes for and 232 votes against.
Opposition parties resisted the bill firmly in the Rajya Sabha discussion. Congress leaders and other opposition leaders labelled the bill as unconstitutional. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the bill, stating it has some weaknesses and the government brought it forward to disturb the Muslim community. He contended that current legislation regarding the Waqf board can be revised without presenting a new bill and requested the government withdraw the bill.
Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav also opposed the bill, saying that the government should be more liberal and provide equal treatment to all religions. Given the large Muslim population in India, he emphasised that any perceived injustice could spark unrest. He also mentioned that the government had failed to keep its word and cautioned against selling property without due consideration, as it would be detrimental to the progress of the country.
BJP leaders countered the opposition’s accusations. Party MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said that the government has worked sincerely and in the best interests of the Muslim community through this bill. He mocked the opposition for opposing the bill without resolving the actual issues of Waqf properties and asked for what reason the Sunni and Shia Waqf boards have to exist separately in the country, including the claims on the Taj Mahal.
Trivedi also said the government is for “Sharaafat Ali” (integrity) rather than “Sararat Khan” (tricks), reiterating that the bill is advocating for the benefit of poor Muslim people, with vote-bank politics and extremism opposing it due to selfish interests. He reiterated that the bill aims to provide for the aspirations of the Ummah community and challenge those disobeying judicial and legal rulings under the pretext of minority rights.