"It is not against any religion": Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi supports Waqf Amendment Bill

Gaya (Bihar) [India], April 4 (ANI): Accusing the Opposition parties of playing the "politics of appeasement," Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Friday asserted that the Waqf Amendment Bill is not against anyone.
Speaking to ANI, Manjhi said that the management of the Waqf Board was in the hands of such people where the money was not being used for the welfare of the poor.
"They (the opposition) are playing the politics of appeasement; this bill (Waqf Amendment) is not in favour of or against anyone. The management of the Waqf Board was in the hands of such people where the money was not being used for the welfare of the poor," he said.
"When the issue of triple talaq came up, they were opposing it. When 370 was abolished, they opposed that too... This bill that has been passed is historic; it is not against any religion but against a flawed system," the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief added.
The passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill has sparked political tremors, with the BJP-led government able to get it passed with a margin of 288-232 in the Lok Sabha and 128-95 in the Rajya Sabha.
In the early hours of Friday, the Rajya Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 after a heated debate.
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)