‘No place safer than India for minorities’: Kiren Rijiju after Lok Sabha passes Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025

The Lok Sabha passed the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 in the wee hours of April 3, after over a 12-hour debate. The ruling NDA members strongly defended the legislation as beneficial for minorities, while the opposition described it as “anti-Muslim” during the debate.

The Bill was passed after all amendments moved by the opposition members were rejected by voice votes. It was passed after a division of votes – 288 in favour and 232 against.

Union Minister for Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said minorities of India are safe because the majority is entirely secular. The Minister said even a minuscule minority community like the Parsis are safe in India.

“Some members have said that minorities are not safe in India. This statement is completely false. There is no place safer than India for minorities. I am also a minority and we all are living here without any fear and with pride,” he said after the debate on the Bill. 

Rijiju tabled the bill on Wednesday afternoon in Lok Sabha. 

The minister said whenever a minority community faces persecution, it always comes to India to take refuge and cited the examples of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan community, minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

“The coming generation will never forgive you. Minorities in India are safe because the majorities of the country are fully secular. This is not the case in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. But still, you abuse us,” he said.

The Bill will be now taken up in Rajya Sabha for discussion. After passing in Rajya Sabha, the Bill goes for presidential approval to become a law.

Unifying minorities in the country

Rijiju said, through the Bill, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is going to unify all minorities in the country. He also highlighted the “wholehearted” support of the Christian community for the Bill.

He said a large number of disputes are pending with the Waqf tribunals and through the legislation, the government wants to expedite these cases.

“We want to expedite the resolution of the disputes in the tribunals. Justice delayed is justice denied. Widows, divorcees, and orphans will be given justice through the Bill,” he said.

Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that a vote bank was being created by intimidating minorities and confusion being spread in the country in the name of the Waqf bill.

“The Narendra Modi government runs on a very clear principle that we will not bring any law for vote bank because law is for justice and welfare of people,” he said, adding, “Everyone has the right to follow their religion, but conversion cannot be done for greed, temptation and fear.”

Shah said the non-Muslims in Waqf council and boards are meant purely to ensure the administration of properties in accordance with stated aims. Earlier, there was no provision to include any non-Muslim among those who run religious institutions and the NDA government is not going to do it either, he said.

Attack on the basic structure of the Constitution: Gogoi

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said the INDIA bloc will oppose the proposed changes to the Waqf law and called the Bill an attack on the basic structure of the Constitution. 

“This Bill is an attack on the basic structure of our Constitution, an attack on our federal structure, and has four primary objectives: to dilute the Constitution, to defame minority communities, to divide Indian society, and to disenfranchise minorities,” he alleged.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the Bill was a BJP ploy for polarisation. He claimed the Bill would send a wrong message to the world and dent the country’s secular image. The Bill will prove to be a “Waterloo” for the BJP as some of its allies might be claiming to support the legislation but inside they are not happy about it, he said.

Participating in the debate, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi staged a symbolic protest by tearing up a copy of the Bill.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, called the Waqf Bill a weapon, aimed at marginalising Muslims and usurping their personal laws and property rights. “This attack on the Constitution by the RSS, BJP and their allies is aimed at Muslims today but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future,” he said.

What does the Waqf Bill say?

According to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Waqf tribunals will be strengthened, a structured selection process will be maintained, and a tenure will be fixed to ensure efficient dispute resolution.

As per the Bill, while Waqf institutions’ mandatory contribution to Waqf boards is reduced from 7 per cent to 5 per cent, Waqf institutions earning over ₹1 lakh will undergo audits by state-sponsored auditors.

A centralised portal will automate Waqf property management, improving efficiency and transparency.

The Bill proposes that practising Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their property to the Waqf, restoring pre-2013 rules. It stipulates that women must receive their inheritance before the Waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans.

The Bill proposes that an officer above the rank of collector investigate government properties claimed as Waqf.

It also proposes that non-Muslim members be included in the central and state Waqf boards for inclusivity.