Waqf Amendment Bill Live Updates: Congress leader Kharge demands inquiry into Manipur violence, asks govt to table White Paper in House

Waqf Amendment Bill Live Updates: Union minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha for discussion and approval. The bill, formulated based on recommendations from a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), aims to enhance the administration of Waqf properties, integrate technology-driven management, simplify legal complexities, and promote transparency. As soon as the Amendment Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha, the member got engaged in the heated debate. Rijiju, during his arguments in the House, said that the Waqf Bill has been renamed as the Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Bill.Deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi alleged that the Waqf bill is a deliberate effort to dilute the Constitution. During the ongoing debate, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad described the Waqf as merely a statutory body and questioned its contributions to public welfare. "The Waqf Board is simply a statutory entity. How many schools and hospitals have been built on its properties?" he asked, challenging its role in serving the community. Akhilesh Yadav, during his argument over the Waqf bill, took a jibe at the BJP that triggered a political tussle with a tinge of humor. He said, "The party that calls itself the world's largest party has not yet been able to choose its national president."Meanwhile, Union home minister Amit Shah targeted the Congress for allegedly spreading misinformation on the Waqf Amendment Bill and assured that the legislation does not seek to interfere in Muslims' religious matters."That the Waqf bill is interference in Muslims' religious matters and properties donated by them is fear-mongering for vote-bank," he said, as he participated in the debate on the legislation in the Lok Sabha.As the debate continued, the AIMIM chief Owaisi rejected the Waqf Amendment Bill and termed it as the "unconstitutional." He said, "In this country, the BJP wants to create conflicts in the name of temples and mosques."Stay with TOI for all the live updates