The bill seeks to improve the administration and management of Waqf properties in India.
New Delhi: The Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the early hours of April 3, after a 12-hour-long debate, with 288 members voting for it and 232 voting against it.
The debate saw the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) defending the legislation as beneficial for minorities, while the opposition described it as "anti-Muslim". The Bill was passed after all amendments moved by the opposition members were rejected by voice votes.
In his reply to the debate, Union Minorities Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said there is no place in the world safer than India for minorities and they are safe because the majority is entirely secular. The revised bill was brought by the government after incorporating recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation that was introduced in August last year.
Opposing the Bill, AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi "tore" it. Congress Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi strongly opposed the Bill, calling it an "attack" on Parliament and the Constitution.
Amid concerns and criticism, Syed Naseruddin Chishty, Chairman of the All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council, on Wednesday dismissed claims by some Muslim organizations that religious properties would be taken away once the Waqf (Amendment) Bill gets cleared from the House.
The bill is set to go to the Rajya Sabha (Upper House), where another long debate is expected.
