Union Minister Kiren Rijiju Introduces Waqf Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha. The bill has been reintroduced after incorporating the amendments recommended by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). The discussion on the bill is scheduled to last eight hours.

"If this amendment is not introduced, even the Parliament building could be claimed as Waqf property. Had it not been for the Narendra Modi government, the legitimacy of numerous properties would have been revoked. Not just Muslims, but the entire nation will accept this bill," Rijiju stated during the introduction.

He further clarified that the bill aims solely at regulating Waqf properties. "The bill was referred to the JPC after accepting the opposition's demand. The bill now includes the recommendations made by the committee. During the UPA regime, unchecked powers were granted to the Waqf Board," Rijiju added.

Meanwhile, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board has opposed the Waqf Amendment Bill, calling it anti-Muslim. They accused the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) of complicating the bill further. According to them, the JPC did not consider suggestions from opposition parties or the board itself. Leaders have also demanded that NDA allies, who claim their recommendations were accepted, should clarify what changes were actually made.