"Waqf bill based on total falsity, misinformation campaign by BJP": Congress MP Hussain in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI): Congress Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of fuelling communal polarisation and spreading misinformation over the Waqf Amendment Bill.
Addressing the Rajya Sabha during the discussion on the bill, Hussain stated the legislation was based on "total falsity" and on a "misinformation campaign" by the BJP.
"You do communal polarisation, and then you accuse us of doing polarisation... This bill is based on total falsity, and a misinformation campaign has been built in the last six months. BJP's fake factory is involved in spreading misinformation," Hussain charged.
He further defended the legitimacy of Waqf properties, stating, "Those properties exist even today and are in long usage; that is the proof of them being in Waqf... There is 'Waqf by user', 'temple by user', 'gurudwara by user'," questioning, "How will you ask for proof for all? How will you ask for proof of age-old places?"
He further accused the BJP of inciting riots and making vote banks. "They're trying to incite riots and make their vote bank," Hussain said.
Earlier, Union Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju moved a motion for consideration of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill of 2025 and the Musalmaan Wakf (Repeal) Bill in the Rajya Sabha. While addressing the upper house of Parliament, Rijiju cited the Sachar committee report, which recommended that the central Waqf council and state Waqf board be broadened to make them inclusive. He was apprised about the number of Waqf properties, saying that the Sachar committee estimated the earnings from 4.9 lakh properties at Rs 12,000 in 2006.
"As of today, there are 872,000 Waqf properties. In 2006, if the Sachar committee had estimated the earnings from 4.9 lakh Waqf properties at Rs 12,000 crore, then you can imagine the income these properties must be generating now. The Sachar committee also recommended that the central Waqf council and state Waqf board should be broadened to make them inclusive. The committee also recommended specific steps to be taken for the benefit of women and children," Rijiju said.
Appealing to Congress and allies to support the Waqf Amendment Bill, Rijiju said that all the recommendations given by previous committees have been incorporated into the newly amended bill.
"All these recommendations given earlier have been incorporated in the newly amended bill. These committees were under UPA and Congress. Thus, I appeal to the Congress party and its allies to support the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025," he said.
Rijiju said that the Ministry of Minority Affairs had prepared the bill after taking in confidence many stakeholders across the country. He said that a total of 284 organisations gave their opinions on the bill, and over one crore people submitted memorandums to register their opinions regarding the same. (ANI)