Criticising the Waqf Amendment Bill, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday declared it “unconstitutional” and a “grave violation” of Articles 14, 25, 26, and 29 of the Indian Constitution.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned earlier in the day and is set to reconvene at 2:00 pm, with the government expected to table the revised Bill later this week.
Owaisi lambasted the proposed legislation, branding it the “Waqf Barbaad Bill” and questioning NDA allies—Nitish Kumar, Chandrababu Naidu, Chirag Paswan, and Jayant Chaudhary—on their support for the amendment.
“This bill is unconstitutional. This bill is a grave violation of Article 14, Articles 25, 26, and 29. This is not Waqf Bill, rather it's a Waqf Barbaad Bill. If Chandrababu Naidu, Nitish Kumar, Chirag Paswan, and Jayant Chaudhary will praise it, then they are doing so for their political reasons. They are supporting it, but what answer will they give to the public after five years? If no non-Hindu can become a member in the Hindu Endowment Board, then why are you making a non-Muslim here?” Owaisi told reporters.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju strongly countered Owaisi’s assertions, stating that the Waqf Act has existed for decades and the amendments aim to streamline its administration rather than infringe upon fundamental rights.
“Some people are saying that this Waqf Amendment Bill is unconstitutional. Waqf rules have existed since before independence. All these provisions are already in existence. If the Waqf Act has been in existence since before independence, then how can it be illegal? Innocent Muslims are being misled by saying that the government is going to snatch the properties and rights of the Muslims. The false things being spread by some people are very harmful to our society and nation,” Rijiju stated.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, have strongly opposed the bill. Congress MP and General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh, termed the proposed amendments “a direct attack on the Constitution.”
“The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a direct attack on the Constitution and against its foundation. It has been bulldozed through the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). If they implement it, we will oppose it democratically,” Ramesh told ANI.
He further alleged that the bill was pushed through the JPC without a thorough discussion of each clause, calling the process undemocratic.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, also referred to as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Bill, seeks to address longstanding challenges, including digitisation of records, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties.
The Waqf Act of 1995, which regulates Waqf properties, has long faced criticism over mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. The government argues that the amendments are necessary to ensure accountability and efficiency in the administration of Waqf properties.
With mounting opposition and heated debates, the bill’s passage is expected to be a contentious issue in Parliament in the coming days.
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