Waqf Bill: ‘Why is the govt interfering with someone’s religion,’ asks Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, who opened up the Opposition’s counter to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, tabled in the Lok Sabha by Minority Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, accused the Modi-led BJP government of attempting to “dilute the Constitution”. 

Dismissing the BJP’s claims that there was a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the bill which took inputs from all parties into consideration, Gogoi said, “Not a single amendment suggested by the Opposition has been adopted,” further adding that those who had no idea about the Waqf were invited to the JPC. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier said that the bill was tabled after a long process of consultations carried out by the JPC. The bill was first introduced in August 2024 and was then referred to the JPC which held long consultations on it. "This is a democratic committee. This committee did not act like the Congress-constituted committee. It followed proper procedure and consultations," Shah said.

Gogoi, pointing to a clause in the bill, questioned why someone who practiced Islam needed to prove it. “I want to ask if this bill was made by the minority affairs ministry or some other department. Where did this bill come from?,” he asked, pointing to an article that speaks of an individual “showing or demonstrating that he is practicing Islam”. The Bill also proposes that practicing Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their property to Waqf, restoring pre-2013 rules.

“Today, the condition of minorities in the country has reached such a state that the government will give them a certificate of religion. Will we now have to prove our faith to the government? Will they ask for a similar certificate from other religions? Will they ask practitioners of other religions to prove whether they have practiced Islam for at least five years? Then why so in this particular bill? Isn’t this against the Constitution? Why is the government interfering with someone’s religion? What kind of a law is this?,” he asked. 

Gogoi said that the Modi government is targeting the land of one community today and will target another’s tomorrow. Amendments should aim to strengthen the bill, not create more disputes, he said. 

Kiren Rijiju said, "The government is not going to interfere in any religious institution. The changes made in the Waqf law by the UPA government gave it an overriding effect over other statutes, hence the new amendments were required," amid protests from the Opposition. 

"Why are the Waqf properties not used for the benefit and welfare of the ordinary, poor and downtrodden Muslims? These properties will have to be used for the welfare of the common Muslims," Rijiju said.