New Delhi [India], April 3 : As the Rajya Sabha gears up to discuss the Waqf Amendment Bill, Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain will open up the debate representing his party's views. He is also the whip for the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) in Rajya Sabha.
This comes as Union Minister JP Nadda is set to address the Rajya Sabha regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, around 1 pm on Thursday.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha a day after it was cleared with a majority in the Lok Sabha. The Lower House witnessed a 12-hour debate, after which the Bill was passed with 288 in its favour and 232 against it.
CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the BJP-led Union Government after the Waqf Amendment Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, stating that this bill is a "brazen assault" on the Constitution and is the BJP's strategy to keep society in a state of "permanent polarisation."
At the CPP general body meeting, Sonia Gandhi said, "Yesterday, the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, was passed in the Lok Sabha, and today, it is scheduled to come up in the Rajya Sabha. The bill was, in effect, bulldozed through. Our party's position is clear. The Bill is a brazen assault on the Constitution itself. It is very much part of the BJP's deliberate strategy to keep our society in a state of permanent polarization."
Sonia Gandhi also criticised the Union Government, claiming that the Opposition leaders in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were not being allowed to express their views.
"It is a matter of grave concern to our democracy that the LOP in the Lok Sabha is not permitted to speak. Similarly, time and again, the LOP in the Rajya Sabha, Khargeji, is also not allowed to say what he wants to say and indeed must say. Like you, I have been witness to how the House gets adjourned not because of us but because of the protests by the Treasury Benches themselves. This is quite extraordinary and shocking, designed to prevent the Opposition from raising their concerns that would put the Government on the spot," she said.
Congress MP Kiran Kumar Chamala said that this bill is against the Muslim community. He further attacked the BJP alleging that they use the Parliament floor as their party's platform.
"This is a dark day where they have made a law post-midnight when people were sleeping... This is not the mandate of the people. It could be passed only because of Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar, who joined NDA post-election for the survival of the 18th Lok Sabha and their government in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar... This bill is against the Muslim community and is not a real democracy... They (BJP) know how to use the Parliament floor as their party's platform when the speaker is not even allowing the Opposition parties to object to any issues," Chamala told ANI.
The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 after a marathon and heated debate, during which 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 result of the division. "Subject to correction, Ayes 288, Noes 232. The majority is in favour of the proposal," he said.
The government brought the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation which was introduced in August last year. The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995. The Bill seeks to 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.