The Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, will be introduced in Parliament on Wednesday. It has been brought by the central government to control the powers of the Waqf Board and bring transparency to the management of properties. Both the government and the opposition have geared up on this issue, due to which there is a possibility of a heated debate and uproar in Parliament. The Waqf Amendment Bill will be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday at 12 noon. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has set aside 8 hours for discussion on it. However, the opposition had demanded 12 hours, which was rejected by the government. After this, the process of passing the bill in the Lok Sabha will begin. After passing the Lok Sabha, the bill will be introduced in the Rajya Sabha. The NDA does not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha yet, so to get it passed there, the government will have to garner the support of allies and some other MPs. The possibility of delay or amendment may increase here. If there is consensus on the demand of the opposition or some MPs, the bill can be sent again to the JPC or the Standing Committee of Parliament for detailed review. This already happened in August 2024, when the bill was sent to the JPC. If the bill is passed by both houses, it will be sent to the president for approval. After the president’s assent, it will become a law, and the management of the Waqf Board, regulation of properties, and other proposed changes will come into force.The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is all set to get this bill passed. The BJP has issued a three-line whip to all its MPs, under which it is mandatory for them to be present in the House today. According to sources, the government is trying to get it passed by both houses before the end of the budget session, i.e., by April 4. Opposition parties, especially the Congress, Samajwadi Party , and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), are strongly opposing this bill. The opposition is calling it unconstitutional and an attack on the rights of minorities. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that this bill is a conspiracy to weaken the Muslim community.44 amendments are proposed in the Waqf Amendment Bill. This includes reducing the unlimited powers of the Waqf Board, including non-Muslim members in the board, and empowering the collector to settle property disputes. The government claims that this will increase transparency and benefit Muslim women. The bill was first sent to the JPC, which approved 14 amendments. The opposition had disagreed with the JPC report, claiming that their suggestions were ignored. The government rejected these allegations and said that the process has been transparent.Talking on this topic, Brajesh Jha, an advocate at Delhi High Court, said, “If the bill is passed, it will bring a big change in the functioning of the Waqf Board. The government is calling it in the interest of the Muslim community, while the opposition is calling it an attack on religious freedom. Today will be a day of numbers games and display of political power in Parliament, in which the possibility of NDA’s victory seems strong.”
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