Waqf Bill was introduced intentionally to divide country: Mamata Banerjee vows to amend it when new government is formed

Howrah (West Bengal) [India], April 3 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the BJP of introducing the Waqf Amendment Bill to "divide the country" and promised to reverse it through an amendment if a new government comes to power at the Centre.
Addressing a press conference in Nabanna, CM Mamata Banerjee said, "This was done intentionally, politically, to divide the country. But one day, they will go away, and the other Government will come. At that time, you must remember there will be another amendment, and it will be passed in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha."
Earlier, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi also criticized the BJP-led government after the bill was passed in the Lok Sabha. She called it a "brazen assault" on the Constitution and accused the BJP of keeping society in a state of "permanent polarization."
"Yesterday, the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, was passed in the Lok Sabha, and today it is scheduled to come up in the Rajya Sabha. The bill was in effect, bulldozed through. Our party's position is clear. The Bill is a brazen assault on the Constitution itself. It is very much part of the BJP's deliberate strategy to keep our society in a state of permanent polarization," Sonia Gandhi said.
The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, after a long and heated debate. Members of the INDIA bloc strongly opposed the bill, while the BJP and its allies supported it, saying it would bring transparency and improve the efficiency of Waqf boards.
The House continued beyond midnight to pass the bill. Speaker Om Birla later announced the voting results: "Subject to correction, Ayes 288, Noes 232. The majority is in favour of the proposal."
The government introduced a revised version of the bill after incorporating recommendations from the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which had examined the legislation introduced in August last year. The bill aims to amend the Waqf Act of 1995 to improve the administration and management of Waqf properties in India.
It seeks to address the shortcomings of the previous law by enhancing the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process, and increasing the use of technology in managing Waqf records. (ANI)