"Waqf bill tabled for welfare of Muslims": J-K Waqf Board chairman Darakhshan Andrabi

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], April 2 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board, Darakhshan Andrabi, on Wednesday supported the Waqf Amendment Bill, saying it will help in the development of the Muslim community.
Speaking to ANI, Andrabi said the bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha today, has no provisions against Muslims.
"It doesn't seem that the bill presented in the Parliament is against Muslims. If the Waqf has so much land, then why are so many Muslims poor?. If the board is managed properly and made accountable, then the development of our people of our community will happen," the BJP leader said.
"It seemed that the bill was being tabled for the welfare of Muslims. There is nothing in the bill that is against Muslims," she added.
Earlier today, introducing the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju questioned why Waqf properties haven't been used to develop the nation and Muslims.
Rijiju said that India has the highest number of Waqf properties in the world and questioned why they haven't been used for the education, medical treatment, skill development, and income generation of poor Muslims.
"When our country has the largest Waqf property in the world, why hasn't it been used for the education, medical treatment, skill development, and income generation of poor Muslims? Why has no progress been made in this regard so far?" Rijiju said in Lok Sabha.
Rijiju also questioned the opposition's objections to the PM Modi-led government working for the betterment of Muslims.
Rijiju also noted that the number of Waqf properties has doubled in the country, and their income has also increased.
Along with the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Rijiju also moved the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha.
The bill was earlier presented in the Lok Sabha in August last year, and a Joint Parliamentary Committee, headed by BJP member Jagdambika Pal, examined it.
The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995. The Bill seeks to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. It 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)