"Decision made by unhealthy Nitish Kumar": RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui slams Bihar CM for supporting Waqf Bill

Patna (Bihar) [India], April 4 (ANI): As the Parliament cleared the Waqf Amendment Bill, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui on Friday lashed out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, saying that he remains "unhealthy" because a healthy Kumar wouldn't have extended support to the bill.
"Although he has been elected as the Chief Minister, I can't say that he is not capable of being a CM. However, we are seeing Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's health. I believe a healthy Nitish Kumar cannot make such a decision. This is definitely a decision made by an unhealthy Nitish Kumar," Siddiqui told ANI.
All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) General Secretary Maulana Yasoob Abbas on Friday said that they would approach the Supreme Court and peacefully protest against it.
Abbas claimed they were ignored despite giving views to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for the Waqf Amendment Bill.
"We will knock on the doors of the Supreme Court. We will protest peacefully under the limits of the constitution. We gave our views earlier to the JPC, but we have been ignored," Abbas told ANI.
He expressed disappointment over the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) and Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for "not supporting" the Muslim community.
"They want Muslim vote, and they feel the ground slipping under their feet. Pairo ki zameen vapis lane ke liye vo Musalmaano ki hit ki baat kar rahe hai (In order to regain confidence, they are talking about Muslim interests). It is sad that both JD(U) and TDP did not support the Muslim community," Abbas added.
On Thursday, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali said that the JD(U) and TDP were expected to oppose the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act since the Muslim community supports them in their respective states.
"We had hoped that JD(U) and TDP might oppose this bill as both these parties were supported by the Muslim community in their respective states. We also think that it would have been better if other parties had opposed this bill with more facts and figures. The Opposition opposed and raised their objections to this bill," Mahali said.
Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Friday morning registered her opposition to the recent passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill, saying that the central government's attempt to clear the bill in "haste" was "inappropriate". She said that her party would support the Muslim community if the government "misuse" the legislation.
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 debate on the bill in the Rajya Sabha, Rijiju said several suggestions made by the Joint Parliamentary Committee had been incorporated into 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.
The Lok Sabha, which discussed 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)