RJD MP Manoj Jha slams Nitish Kumar's support for Waqf Bill, says "its concerning matter"

Patna (Bihar) [India], April 5 (ANI): After Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) supported the Waqf Amendment Bill, his party has come under fire, with some Muslim leaders choosing to part ways with the party. RJD MP Manoj Jha on Saturday said that if this decision was taken after Kumar's consideration, then it's a concerning matter.
Calling the Waqf Amendment Bill "unconstitutional," the RJD MP stated that the All Indian Personal Muslim Law Board and opposition parties, including RJD, are looking for different options, including moving to the court to get this bill dismissed.
"It was a historical opportunity for the government...You are destroying it (Waqf Board) with your dog whistle politics. You have taken another big step toward eliminating Muslims. Many political parties, which are generally not in support of the opposition, supported the opposition in this matter...If all the positioning in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha has been done on the decision of Nitish Kumar, then it's a concerning matter. And if it was not his decision, then it is more concerning... AIMPLB, other parties, and RJD are looking for different options, including moving to the highest court of land, which is that this bill is unconstitutional and should be dismissed," Jha told ANI.
Earlier, Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain criticised the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, passed by Parliament, calling it a "targeted" legislation. Terming the bill as "unconstitutional" and "unfair," Hussain said that despite knowing its issues, the government was "adamant" about passing it.
"We believe that it is a constitutional problem and that this bill is unconstitutional and unfair. It is targeted legislation. The debate in both houses was very good. We disagreed with the government. Despite knowing that there would be many issues with the bill in the coming days, the government was adamant about passing it... The opposition fought unitedly," he said.
On Friday, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi approached the Supreme Court challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025.
The Bill passed in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha now awaits President Droupadi Murmu's assent to become an Act. The Parliament passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 after two days of heated debate in both houses of Parliament.
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)