New Delhi, April 3: Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 and Muslim Waqf (Repeal) Bill 2025 in the Rajya Sabha for discussion. The Lok Sabha has passed these bills last night.
While introducing the bill in the House, Kiren Rijiju said that there should be logical and meaningful discussion on it. Some members say that the amount of discussion that should have taken place in the Joint Parliamentary Committee did not happen, but it was brought to Parliament after discussions with all the stakeholders and religious institutions etc. across the country. The JPC did a very extensive work on this. In total, 284 organizations, stakeholders gave a memorandum. One crore people gave their opinion on this. It was also discussed with the state governments. It was passed by the Lok Sabha last night i.e. early today. After that, it is being presented in the Rajya Sabha today.
Kiren Rijiju said that the JPC has visited various places like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow etc. and taken the opinion of the people. Earlier, when the Congress government set up an inquiry commission on Waqf in 1976 and the commission’s report came, it was said that there is a lot of controversy regarding Waqf properties. The Sachchar Committee report came in 2006 and it said that the Waqf Board should be empowered. The Sachchar Committee said that special steps should be taken for women and children. The K Rahman Khan Committee said that all the trouble is centered on the Mutawalli. Waqf properties and its data should be digitized. The UPA formed a select committee but the committee formed by our JPC on this has more members than the UPA and they held more meetings than the UPA, went to more parts of the country and took people’s opinion.
Rijiju said that it was said here that the steps we are taking are taking away the rights of Muslims but I reject such allegations. The management of Waqf properties will remain with Muslims only, non-Muslims will not be able to interfere in it. Mutawalli will also be a Muslim. All the work related to children, women, religious sentiments and religious system will be in the hands of Muslims only. We are making the Waqf Board stronger. The Muslim who wants to run his property as a Waqf will have full permission for that. Waqf Board should be based on transparency, accountability and quality, this is what we focus on. We are not hurting anyone’s religious sentiments. Any Muslim can create a Waqf. Shia, Sunni, Sheikh will all be together in Waqf. There will be no discrimination in this.
The comments made by Kerala, Allahabad, Rajasthan High Courts in pending cases regarding Waqf Board were also mentioned by Kiren Rijiju while presenting the bill in the House.
He said that the recommendations of the committee formed in 2013 during the tenure of the UPA government were passed in both the houses of Parliament. The then UPA government denotified 123 properties in Delhi just before the Lok Sabha elections in 2014.
He said that this bill has been brought with a good intention, a new dawn is coming with it. The name of the new bill will be “Umeed”. The role of everyone from the collector to the chief minister will be transparent. This bill has been brought with a unified effort. Muslims of all classes will get representation in it and they will be empowered. A central data base will be created. There will be an online tracking system of Waqf properties. This will lead to rapid development of Waqf properties.
Minister said till now it has been said that Waqf has the third highest land property in the country after Defense and Railways, but I would like to tell that Waqf has the highest Waqf property in the world. Despite this, the poor Muslims of the country are not getting any benefit from it. After the passing of this bill, the government will work on it with good intentions and it will improve the living standards of poor Muslims.
Rijiju said that documents will be required for the title of Waqf property, words will not work. Waqf property is registered, there will be no tampering with it. If it is pending in the court, then the final decision in that case will be of the court. In the case of Waqf property which has documents, the state government will take action accordingly. A person can only Waqf the property which he owns. He will not be able to tamper with the property of his wife and children. There will be no tampering with archeology and heritage. No land in Scheduled Tribe area can be declared as Waqf property, this has been done in view of protecting the interests of the tribals.
He said that the UPA government had made a provision that you cannot go to court in appeal against the case pending in the arbitration, but now if you are not getting justice in the arbitration, then the way has been opened for you to go to court. Currently, 31,999 cases are pending in the tribunal, so this too will have to be resolved proactively.
He said that the gurudwaras of Haryana and the Catholic bishop in Muramban (Kerala) have also written letters to me and the MPs and appealed that this bill should be supported. Rijiju said that this bill has been brought to benefit crores of people. Many members of the House are also in the JPC, I will listen to their and other members’ suggestions and will respond to them later.
He appealed to the members to give proper suggestions instead of creating a ruckus.
