Opposition spreading lies about Waqf (Amendment) Act, says Kiren Rijiju in Mumbai

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju (centre) addresses the media at Churchgate yesterday. Pic/Shadab Khan

Defending the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, the Union government hit back at the Opposition for allegedly spreading a fake narrative over changes made to the Waqf Act, 1995. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju slammed Congress and members of the Communist Party for claiming that the law was amended to seize masjid and kabristan properties. "The amendments are aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of Waqf properties," the Union minister stated, while addressing the media in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Stating that there are 9.72 lakh Waqf properties in India, Rijiju said they were not being used for the welfare of underprivileged members of the Muslim community. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was working to uplift the poor, and changes to the Waqf rules were nothing but an effort to pass on the benefits to members of the community. "People were robbed and deprived of their rights. But, PM Modi is working hard to give these rights to those who deserve them. That's the reason people have voted Modi-ji to power for the third consecutive term," Rijiju added.

Early this month, after fierce debate, the Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government passed the amendment Bill in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Shedding light on the amendments, the Union minister made it clear that changes have been made to ensure that Waqf properties function with proper management and documentation. "Now that the Act has been amended, we will draft the rules accordingly," he said.

Several Muslim leaders and Opposition parties claim that the bill, which seeks to regulate endowments, is "unconstitutional' and infringes on the rights of the minority community. The changes have been challenged in the Supreme Court. The apex court will now hear the case on May 5.

Speaking about widespread protests against the amendments to the 1995 law, the minister said a negative picture was being created by those who view the community as a vote-bank. "One should not be under the wrong impression that all Muslims are against the changes made to the Act. Many of them have come forward to welcome the changes and have even thanked the government for making it happen," the minister added.

Rijiju went on to warn the Opposition that his government was coming out with a list detailing how Waqf properties had been "looted and the Muslim community had been robbed of its rights".