Lok Sabha debates Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, Rijiju defends move

New Delhi: Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, sparking an eight-hour discussion. The bill aims to bring Waqf Board properties under legal scrutiny.

The bill received support from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) (JDU), both allies of the central government. However, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant did not clarify his stance during the debate, despite Rijiju questioning him.

During his 58-minute speech, Rijiju criticized the Congress-led UPA government for transferring 123 prime properties to the Delhi Waqf Board on March 5, 2014, alleging it was done to secure minority votes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

“If we had not tabled this amendment bill today, the building in which we are sitting could have been claimed as Waqf property,” he said, adding that many properties would have been denotified if Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government had not come to power.

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav opposed the bill, calling it a conspiracy to take away the homes and shops of Muslims. Meanwhile, a BJP MP stated that people in India “want freedom from the fear of Waqf.”