"Against spirit of secularism": CPI (M) leader AA Rahim on passage of Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025

New Delhi [India], April 4 (ANI): Communist Party of India (M) leader AA Rahim on Friday said that passing of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is a "black day" of secular India, adding that the Bill is against the "spirit of secularism."
"This is a black day of secular India, like the unfortunate incident of 1992, demolition of the Babri Masjid...It is absolutely unconstitutional, against the spirit of secularism...As it is an unconstitutional legislation, it will be challenged before the court. We can expect a good decision from their side," Rahim told ANI.
The Parliament passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 in the early hours of Friday after a marathon and heated debate.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said, "Ayes 128 and Noes 95, Absent zero. The Bill is passed."
The House sat beyond midnight to pass the legislation.
Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the opposition parties of trying to mislead people on the Waqf Amendment Bill and said it will benefit crores of people from the Muslim community.
Replying to the over 12-hour-long debate on the bill in Rajya Sabha, Rijiju said several suggestions made by the Joint Parliamentary Committee had been incorporated in the revised bill.
Rijiju said that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, will be renamed as the UMEED (Unified Waqf Management Empowerment Efficiency and Development) Bill.
Lok Sabha, which took up discussion on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday, passed it past midnight after a marathon debate.
The government introduced the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation introduced in August last year. The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India.
The Bill aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records. (ANI)