Mumbai: Home Minister Amit Shah, full of zeal about the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025, went to great lengths to argue that the country's Prime Minister, out of loving duty, is fulfilling all the wishes of his beloved RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who had crusaded for a harsh law to take care away from the looting of Waqf properties. These observations followed the opposition speech censuring the proposed legislation.
Shah underscored how Lalu, back in the time of the UPA II government led by Congress, frankly endorsed that further legislation should have taken place to intervene against the misappropriation of Waqf properties. Quoting Lalu Prasad, Shah underscored that RJD was very worried about massive encroachments and illegal constructions on priceless Waqf lands. Shah said that Lalu Prasad cried out too loudly then to say the law contained in the country needs to be stronger, while opposition parties, nevertheless, did not heed it. That has changed under the current government of Modi.
The Waqf Bill has ruffled feathers for being perceived as questioning the rights of minor communities by the opposition, including Congress legislator Gaurav Gogoi. Gogoi directed criticism at one clause in the bill that restricts non-Salafi Muslims practicing their faith for the last five years for donations, which he called discriminatory.
Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Minority Affairs, took a shot at the Congress for putting all sorts of questionable provisions in the Waqf laws during the Congress era, thus, suggesting that some crucial properties could have been converted into Waqf if the current administration did not intervene.
Amit Shah argued that this bill had no religious angle, only aimed at tackling issues associated with the Waqf property. At a time of heated debate, the government stood behind the bill's cause, which includes proper management and transparency of Waqf properties.
[Source Credit: NDTV]
