AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi tore a copy of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 in the Lok Sabha, calling it unconstitutional and an attack on Muslim religious properties. BJP MP Jagdambika Pal criticized his actions, stating that tearing the bill was itself unconstitutional and that concerns should have been addressed through debate. Eventually, the bill was passed with 288 MPs voting in favor and 232 against, and it will now move to the Rajya Sabha for further discussion.
Owaisi’s Protest
Defending his act of tearing the bill, Owaisi compared it to Mahatma Gandhi’s resistance against unjust laws."If you read history, you would see that Mahatma Gandhi said about the laws of white South Africa, 'My conscience doesn't accept this,' and he tore it up. Like Gandhi, I am also tearing up this law."He accused the BJP of using the bill to create divisions and called for amendments."This is unconstitutional. The BJP wants to create divisiveness in this country in the name of temples and mosques. I condemn this and I request you to accept the 10 amendments.
Jagdambika Pal’s Response
BJP MP Jagdambika Pal condemned Owaisi’s act, calling it unconstitutional and inappropriate for parliamentary debate."Asaduddin Owaisi calls the bill unconstitutional, but he has done the unconstitutional thing by tearing up the bill. I want to ask him—why did he tear the bill? If he had concerns, he should have debated, not resorted to such disrespectful behavior in Parliament.
Passage of the Bill
The bill was passed after amendments proposed by opposition members were rejected. The Lok Sabha session extended beyond midnight as the House debated the legislation. After Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju concluded his reply to the debate, Speaker Om Birla announced that the House would take up The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, for a decision. He then called for the clearing of the lobbies before proceeding with the vote.
