Waqf Amendment Bill / Waqf bill presented in Parliament, government gave these 5 'assurances' to Muslims

Waqf Amendment Bill: The Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday afternoon. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju presented it in the House for discussion after the Question Hour. Eight hours have been set aside for discussion on this bill, but the opposition demanded to extend it to 12 hours, due to which there was a lot of uproar in the House.

Record number of petitions for the first time in history

Kiren Rijiju informed that the highest number of petitions till date, 97,27,772, have been received regarding this bill. Apart from this, 284 delegations have put forth their opinion before various committees. Rijiju claimed that even those opposing this bill will eventually support it with a positive mindset.

5 assurances given by the government to Muslims

• The government has given five major assurances to address the concerns of Muslims regarding this bill:
• No action on mosques: Kiren Rijiju clarified that there is no provision for any kind of action on any mosque in this bill. This is completely a matter related to property and has nothing to do with religious institutions.
• No interference in the system of religious places: The government clarified that the Waqf Amendment Bill does not provide for any kind of interference in the system of any religious place, especially mosques. There will be no change or interference in it.
• No provision for interference in religious activities: There is no provision for interference in any religious activity in this bill. The government said that there will be no interference in the operation of mosques and the Waqf Board will work within the ambit of the law.
• Management of government land and disputed property: According to the bill, only an officer above the collector will look into the matters of government land and any disputed property. Waqf property cannot be built in any tribal area. This change is an important aspect of this bill.
• Limited number of non-Muslim members in Waqf Council: The government promised that out of the total 22 members in the Waqf Council, not more than 4 members will be non-Muslims. These will include three members of Parliament including former officials, who can be of any religion.

Opposition's protest and future strategy

The opposition demanded to extend the discussion time of the bill to 12 hours, which led to a heated debate in Parliament. The opposition argues that this bill will have a wide impact, so it should be made available for discussion for more time.

The government, however, has indicated that the bill will be implemented impartially and it will focus only on property management and dispute resolution.