‘No place safe India mint

The Lok Sabha passed the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 in the hours of April 3 after a 12-hour debate. The ruling NDA members strongly defended the law as beneficial for minorities, while the opposition described it as “anti -Muslim” during the debate.

The bill was passed after all the amendments made by the opposition members were rejected by voice votes. It was passed after a partition of votes – 288 on the side and against 232.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that India’s minorities are safe as the majority is completely secular. The minister said that like Parsis in India, a minority minority community is also safe.

He said, “Some members have said that minorities are not safe in India. This statement is completely wrong. There is no place safe for minorities compared to India. I am also a minority and we are all living here without fear and proudly,” he said after a debate on the bill.

Rijiju filed a bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday afternoon.

The minister said that whenever a minority community faces harassment, it always comes to India to take refuge and cited examples of minorities of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan community, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

“The coming generations will never forgive you. Minorities in India are safe because the country’s prominences are completely secular. It is not so in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. But still, you abuse us,” he said.

This bill will now be taken in the Rajya Sabha for discussion. After passing in the Rajya Sabha, the bill goes to the approval of the President to enact a law.

Integration of minorities in the country

Rijiju said, through the bill, the Bharatiya Janata Party -led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is going to unite all the minorities of the country. He also highlighted the “full heart” support of the Christian community for the bill.

He said that a large number of disputes are pending with the Waqf Tribunal and through the law, the government wants to accelerate these matters.

“We want to intensify the resolution of disputes in the tribunals. The delay in justice has been denied justice. Widows, divorce and orphans will be given justice through the bill,” he said.

Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that in the name of Waqf Bill, a vote bank was being formed in the country to intimidate minorities and confusion.

He said, “The Narendra Modi government runs on a very clear principle that we will not bring any laws for the vote bank because the law is for the justice and welfare of the people,” he said, “Everyone has the right to follow their religion, but the conversion cannot be done for greed, temptation and fear.”

Shah said that the meaning of non-Muslims in Waqf Council and boards is purely stated to ensure the administration of properties according to the objectives mentioned. Earlier, there was no provision to include any non-Muslim among those running religious institutions and the NDA government is not going to do it, he said.

Attack on the basic structure of the constitution: Gogoi

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said that the India Block will oppose the proposed changes in Waqf Act and call the bill attack on the infrastructure of the Constitution.

He said, “This bill is an attack on the basic structure of our Constitution, an attack on our federal structure, and there are four primary objectives: to dilute the Constitution, to defame minority communities, divide Indian society, and to separate minorities,” he accused.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the bill was the BJP’s move for polarization. He claimed that the bill would send a wrong message to the world and dent the country’s secular image. He said that this bill will prove to be “Waterloo” for the BJP as some of his associates can claim to support the law, but inside they are not happy about it, he said.

Participating in the debate, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owasi staged a symbolic protest by tearing a copy of the bill.

In a post on X, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called Waqf Bill a Weapon, which was aimed at marginalizing Muslims and fulfilling their personal laws and property rights. He said, “This attack on the constitution by RSS, BJP and their allies is for Muslims today, but there is an example to target other communities in the future,” he said.

What does Waqf Bill say?

According to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, the Waqf Tribunal will be strengthened, a structured selection process will be maintained, and a term will be fixed to ensure efficient dispute solutions.

According to the bill, while the compulsory contribution of WAQF institutions to WAQF boards has been reduced from 7 percent to 5 percent, earnings on WAQF institutions 1 lakh will have to undergo an audit by state-proposed auditors.

A centralized portal will automate WAQF property management, improve efficiency and transparency.

The Bill proposes that practicing Muslims (for at least five years), dedicating their property to Waqf, can restore the pre -2013 rules. It determines that women should achieve their legacy before the Waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans.

The Bill proposes that on the rank of the Collector, an official investigated government properties, which was claimed as Waqf.

It also proposes that non-Muslim members should be included in central and state WAQF boards for inclusion.