Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 3 : All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali on Thursday said that if the Rajya Sabha passes the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, they will challenge it in court.
"If this bill is passed in Rajya Sabha, we will challenge it in court. We are confident that we will get justice and relief in this matter based on constitutional facts," Maulana Mahali told ANI.
He said that the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) and Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party were expected to oppose the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act since the Muslim community supports them in their respective states.
"We had hoped that JD(U) and TDP might oppose this bill as both these parties were supported by the Muslim community in their respective states. We also think that it would have been better if other parties had opposed this bill with more facts and figures. The Opposition opposed and raised their objections to this bill," Mahali said.
He said that members of the opposition should have countered the bill with more facts. "The members of the Opposition voiced their opinions, but some other members should also have mentioned facts in greater detail," he added.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Malvinder Singh Kang accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in the Centre of "managing" other alliance parties of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in order to clear the bill.
"I think a few people have compromised for their personal interests as the majority of the people in the country didn't agree with this bill. I think that the central government has been successful in "managing" things, as the BJP doesn't have the majority on its own. This legislation has been passed by going against the sentiments of Muslims in the country," Kang told ANI.
Terming the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 as "unfair," Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra said that it is a very "dark day" in India's secular democracy.
The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 after a marathon and heated debate. During this debate, members of the INDIA bloc fiercely opposed the legislation, while the BJP and its allies strongly supported it, saying it would bring transparency and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards.
The House sat beyond midnight to pass the legislation. Speaker Om Birla later announced the division's result. "Subject to correction, Ayes 288, Noes 232. The majority is in favour of the proposal," he said.
The government introduced the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation introduced in August last year. The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India.
It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records.