LIVE | Rajya Sabha passes Waqf Bill (128-95)

Centre started calling non-stakeholders to JPC when Bill didn't get much support: Hussain

"Rijiju spoke of JPC. Yesterday in Lok Sabha also lot of people spoke of JPC. I was a member of the Waqf JPC. When our consultations began, over 98 per cent of the people who came to depose were against the Bill. When they (Centre) realised their Bill was not drawing support, they started calling non stakeholders, many who did not even know what Waqf is or how it is created, many came and made extremely communal statements," says Hussain.  

You didn't even allocate budget to central waqf council: Hussain tells govt

You say your Bill strengthens waqf. Brings transparency. What did you do for the last 10 years. You did not even allocate budget to central waqf council, you don't constitute waqf boards in states and you talk of strengthening waqf: Hussain

Why did BJP support Bills in 1995, 2013 if they were meant to appease Muslims: Hussain

"The minister has said that if the 1995 Act and 2013 amendments hadn't come, this Bill wouldn't have been necessary today. I want to make it clear and tell the country that both in 1995 and in 2013, BJP supported the Bills. The Bills were passed unanimously. Even in the 2009 Manifesto of the BJP they had said they will examine the K. Rahman Khan Committee report on waqf and implement it if they come to power. If our Bills were to appease Muslims or were illegal, why did you support them unanimously. From 2013 till 2024 you did not think that our Bills were bad. Today you have brought the Bill only for polarisation because in the 2024 elections you lost a chunk of your support base. This Bill is based on a fallacy, on a misinformation campaign," says Hussain. 

Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain opens the discussion for the Opposition

Bill to prevent misuse of Waqf: Rijiju

"A 30 year provision of law of Limitation will now apply to Waqf from the date this Bill is enacted. Our Bill will also prevent misuse of Waqf. In Kerala, the Munambam case is making news because these was misuse of Waqf because anyone could come and claim land as Waqf land. So many Christians are facing problem because of this in Kerala and Church organisations have appealed for support for our Bill because of this. In 2014, you denotified 123 properties and many people started saying that Parliament building is also Waqf property. If that government had continued and Modi government hadn't come, there would have been a threat to our Parliament too," says Rijiju. 

Nearly 32,000 cases pending in Waqf tribunals

"Today total 31997 cases with 14470 Muslim litigants are pending in Waqf tribunals. Our Bill proposes better composition of tribunals to expedite disposal of such cases. We have also given a right to appeal. In 2013, this was denied and Tribunal's decision was binding, only open to review petitions before courts. We have decided to give right to appeal against Tribunal order through a civil writ in courts. We have also mandated that annual contribution that Mutawwalis were supposed to make to the Waqf Board will be brought down from 7 per cent to 5 per cent so that they have more money to give for benefit of poor," says Rijiju  

Protected monuments declared as Waqf shall be declared void: Rijiju

"Today, India's Waqf has the largest landholding in the world. We are not counting land under railways and defence because that is property of the government. But unlike railway and defence land, Waqf property is not utilised for the development of poor Muslims. Our target is clear - in 2013, Waqf properties could be created as 'Waqf By User' without any documentation but we have done away with such an arbitrary practice; you can't create Waqf without documentation. Only settled cases of 'Waqf by User', those without dispute, will be held valid. This Act will apply prospectively. Our Bill also makes clear provision for protecting rights of women and children; only property directly owned by an individual or part of an individual's share can be created as Waqf by the individual which will protect inheritance of women and children. We have also made it clear that protected monuments declared as Waqf shall be declared void and Waqf won't apply there. Waqf will also not be created in any area under Schedule V and VI which are tribal areas," says Rijiju. 

Bill facilitates harmonisation of Waqf with all other property laws: Rijiju

"Our Bill facilitates legal harmonisation of Waqf with all other property laws by applying the law of Limitation. Our Bill will usher in a new dawn and this is why our Bill is called UMEED - Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficient Management and Development Act," says Rijiju. 

Waqf Bill doesn't violate Article 26: Rijiju

"Our provisions bring transparency and accountability in Waqf. Many people have criticised this Bill as being violative of Article 26 (right to religion). This is not true. I want to reiterate several court rulings that have made it clear that a Waqf board is a statutory body and not a representative body of Muslims, that a Mutawwalis' right is purely of management of property and not of a religious character, that right to manage properties of temples is a secular practice and not religious in character," says Rijiju.   

Rijiju rejects opposition's charge that Wafq Bill is against Muslims