No land will be taken under the Waqf Bill, union minister for minority affairs and parliamentary affairs Kiren Rijiju said on Wednesday as he moved that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, as reported by the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) be taken into consideration in the Lok Sabha.
Rijiju said that the discussion on the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) had been unprecedented in the history of the Indian Parliament. “The discussion that has taken place on the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Joint Committee of both Houses has never been done in the parliamentary history of India until now. I thank and congratulate all the members of the Joint Committee,” Rijiju said.
He said the committee heard from 284 delegations representing various communities and Waqf boards across 25 states and union territories. “No land will be taken under the Waqf Bill,” he added, clarifying that the bill would not affect Muslims’ rights and that ‘these are just baseless rumors.”
“A case ongoing since 1970 in Delhi involved several properties, including the CGO (Central Government Offices) Complex and the Parliament building. The Delhi Waqf Board had claimed these as Waqf properties. The case was in court, but at that time, the UPA government denotified 123 properties and handed them over to the Waqf Board. If we had not introduced this amendment today, even the Parliament building we are sitting in could have been claimed as Waqf property,” Rijiju said.
Rijiju also discussed the changes made by the Congress government in 2013, which allowed non-Muslims, including Sikhs, Hindus, and Parsis, to create Waqf. “In 2013, right before the elections, the Act was changed to allow Sikhs, Hindus, Parsis, and others to create Waqf. Everyone knows Waqf is for Muslims to create Waqf in the name of Allah. This change was made by Congress in 2013,” he said.
He criticised the provision granting Waqf boards overriding powers over other laws. “Congress made the boards specific — only Shias in Shia boards. A section was added that Waqf would have an overriding effect over every other law. How can this section be acceptable?” Rijiju said.
Rijiju also spoke of measures being introduced in the bill, which he argued would improve the efficiency and transparency in the management of Waqf properties. He said, “We have worked to improve efficiency by utilising technology. A centralised database and a digital portal will be implemented, ensuring that no one can secretly create Waqf properties under the cover of darkness. Proper registration, tracking, monitoring, and compliance mechanisms have been established.”
He added the bill will be called UMEED (Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development) because “one very important aspect of this bill is the new structured system we are introducing. This will give rise to a sense of hope.”
He said that under the Central Waqf Council, women and various communities would have adequate representation. “Suppose I am handling Minority Affairs. Then I become Chairman of the Central Waqf Council. Despite my position, there can be a maximum of four non-Muslim members in the Council, and among them, two women members are compulsory,” Rijiju explained.
Rijiju urged the opposition to support the bill, saying “Millions of poor Muslims will bless me for this effort. But why should I take these blessings alone? You should receive them too. Support this bill, this is my sincere request to you all.”