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Geopolitics | India

Naima Sood

02 APR 2025 | 11:25:12

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav has opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha. Participating in the debate over the bill, the SP leader accused the BJP-led NDA government of using such bills to cover its failures.The former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh said, “Whenever BJP brings up a new Bill, it hides its failure. BJP is talking about identifying the land of Muslim brothers so that the issue of identifying the Hindus who have died or lost in Maha Kumbh can be covered up... Not only about the lives lost, but this government should tell where is the list of about 1,000 Hindus who have been lost and not been found yet.”

Waqf (Amendment) Bill tabled in Lok Sabha

Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju tabled the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha for consideration and passage. The bill, proposed by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), aims to improve the administration of Waqf properties, introduce technology-driven management, address complexities, and ensure transparency.

Largest consultation process in parliamentary history

Rijiju stated, “Over 97.27 lakh petitions, memorandums were received by the JPC through physical and online formats and the JPC had gone through each of them before finalising its report.”He added, “As many as 284 delegations submitted their views on the bill besides the Waqf boards of 25 states and Union Territories. Legal luminaries, charitable organisations, academicians and religious leaders, among others, have also submitted their opinions.”

Government denies religious interference

Rijiju clarified, “The government is not going to interfere in any religious institution. The changes made in the Waqf law by the UPA government gave it overriding effect over other statutes, hence the new amendments were required.”He told the opposition, “You tried to mislead the people on issues which are not part of the Waqf Bill. This bill has nothing to do with religion, but deals only with properties.”