"Will continue to protect rights of minority institution": Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi

New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI): After the Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday said that the party will continue to fight to defend the Constitution and protect the rights of the minority institutions.
"The Bill passed narrowly and there was a difference of only 56 votes...We put forward all the points that the people of India wanted us to put. We are unhappy with the results...We will continue to fight to defend the Constitution and protect the rights of the minority institutions," Gogoi told ANI.
Reacting to the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that the government prevailed by a fairly small majority.
"At the end of the day, the government prevailed by a fairly small majority...There were very strong views expressed on all sides of the debate," Tharoor.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party MP Zia ur Rahman Barq said that the public will not forgive this history and the way the bill was passed.
"We opposed the bill. The public will not forgive this history and the way the bill was passed. The nation will not develop if you target a particular community...The public will not forgive the NDA allies, be it from Bihar or Andhra Pradesh or anywhere else...We will oppose the bill in Rajya Sabha also and we will continue our fight against the bill...We will also take to the streets and will approach the court also," Barq said.
Earlier, the Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 after a marathon and heated debate during which members of the INDIA bloc fiercely opposed the legislation while the BJP and its allies in strongly supported it, saying it will bring transparency and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards.
The bill was passed after amendments made by the opposition members were negatived. The House sat beyond midnight to pass the legislation.
Speaker Om Birla later announced the result of the division. "Subject to correction, Ayes 288, Noes 232. The majority is in favour of the proposal," he said.
The revised bill was brought by the government after incorporating recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee which examined the legislation which was introduced in August last year.
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)