Following a heated discussion, the Rajya Sabha approved the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 on Friday. Starting Thursday afternoon, the debate continued until after midnight. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar stated that 128 members supported the bill and 95 opposed it, but he added that the final figures could be changed. Over twelve hours were spent debating the bill.
The bill has now formally received parliamentary support after passing the upper house, and it will now await the president of India’s final assent before becoming law. By a voice vote, the Rajya Sabha has also approved the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024.
Following an equally lengthy debate, the Lok Sabha had earlier on Thursday approved the bill. Although the Narendra Modi administration has consistently defended the bill, the opposition has called it a “attack on religious freedom” and “unconstitutional.” One day after defending the bill in the lower house, Union minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju submitted the resolution for the Rajya Sabha to review it on Thursday afternoon.
After taking into account the Joint Parliamentary Committee’s (JPC) suggestions, the government unveiled the updated Waqf (Amendment) bill 2025 during the current budget session. After reviewing the legislation that was proposed in August of last year, the committee made suggestions. The goal of the bill is to enhance the management and administration of waqf properties in India by amending the Act of 1995.
By strengthening the registration procedure and expanding the use of technology in Waqf record management, it seeks to improve the effectiveness of Waqf boards and address the deficiencies of the previous act. “There have been numerous revisions made between the original text of the Waqf Amendment bill and the current version. According to the news agency, Kiren Rijiju responded to Friday’s bill debate by stating, “If we had not accepted anyone’s suggestions, the bill would have been completely different.”
