The Union government on Thursday tabled the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Rajya Sabha, with Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stressing that the proposed legislation was not aimed at targeting any religious community but was intended to streamline the administration of Waqf properties and enhance transparency through technology-driven management.
The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill in the early hours of Thursday, with 288 votes in favour and 232 against, following nearly 12 hours of intense debate.
Presenting the Bill in the Upper House, Rijiju said it had been examined and redrafted by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) and was focused solely on property management rather than religious matters.
“The Bill is not against Muslims... We don’t want to hurt anyone’s religious sentiments. The Waqf board is set up only to oversee, and not manage, Waqf properties,” he asserted.
The Bill, he said, also aims to ensure representation from all Muslim sects in the Waqf Board, thereby addressing existing complexities. He noted that the number of Waqf properties had increased from 4.9 lakh in 2004 to 8.72 lakh at present.
Seeking the Opposition’s support, Rijiju maintained that the legislation sought to fulfil tasks left incomplete by previous governments.
“The government has introduced the Bill with good intentions, and thus renamed it as ‘UMEED’. No one should have any problem with the name,” he said.
The government has proposed renaming the Waqf Bill as the Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Bill.
The minister further emphasised that Waqf-owned properties constituted one of the largest landholdings in the country, second only to those owned by the defence and railway sectors.
The Bill is expected to face rigorous debate in the Rajya Sabha, with Opposition leaders likely to raise concerns over its broader implications.
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