Lok Sabha passes Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 amid opposition dispute

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, on Thursday with 232 votes against 288. The House sat until around 2 a.m. to approve the bill. Additionally, the Muslim Waqf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, which repeals the Muslim Waqf Act, 1923, was passed by voice vote.

Replying to the debate, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the bill was in the interest of the Muslim community.

When Rijiju moved the motion for consideration of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, some opposition members demanded a division, leading to a vote count of 288 in favor and 232 against.

However, a dispute arose over the entry of members into the House after the lobby was cleared.

Opposition members raised objections, but Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla clarified that toilets in the new Parliament building were arranged in the lobby, and only members were allowed entry. He assured that no one from outside was permitted.