New Delhi, April 2 (AHN) Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday bashed the previous UPA government for de-notifying 123 properties and handing them over to the Delhi Waqf Board. Defending the necessity of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, he said that without this legislation, even the Parliament premises could have been claimed as Waqf property.

Amid opposition protests, Rijiju introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the Mussalman Waqf (Repeal) Bill 2025 in the Lok Sabha.

Addressing the House, he thanked the members of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for their extensive discussions and consultations. He noted that the level of deliberation on this bill was unprecedented in Indian parliamentary history.

He revealed that the government had reviewed 97,27,772 petitions --received through online and physical submissions, MoUs, suggestions, and requests -- during the process. This, he claimed, was a record number of inputs for any bill in India's legislative history.

Additionally, 284 delegations, including stakeholders from different communities, representatives from 25 state governments and union territories, as well as legal experts and religious leaders, provided their input.

"I hope and believe that after I introduce this bill, those who were opposing it earlier will have a change of heart and support it," Rijiju said.

Highlighting the history of amendments to the Waqf Act, Rijiju pointed out that no one had previously termed it "unconstitutional" or "unlawful."

"When we are introducing positive reforms, why were such words being used? Those uninvolved in the bill are misleading and provoking the people," he said.

He emphasised that the 1995 amendment had introduced a tribunal system for resolving disputes related to Waqf properties. It was also decided that if a Waqf property generated an income of more than Rs 5 lakh, the government would appoint executive officers to oversee its management.

Blasting the 2013 amendment made by the UPA government, Rijiju said, "They brought a provision that allowed any person -- Hindu, Muslim, Christian, or Buddhist -- to create a Waqf property, despite Waqf being specifically for Muslims and their connection with Allah. Additionally, they specified that only Shias could be members of the Shia Waqf Board and only Sunnis in the Sunni Waqf Board."

He also took issue with Section 108 of the Waqf Act, which states that "Waqf Board provisions will always override any other law in the country."

"How can such a law be accepted in a democratic nation?" he asked.

Reiterating his accusation against the previous government, Rijiju said that the de-notification of 123 properties and their transfer to the Delhi Waqf Board was a direct result of the 2013 amendment.

"Had we not come up with this legislation, even the Parliament premises would have been claimed as Waqf property... If the Modi government had not intervened, who knows how many more places would have been de-notified?" he stated amid Opposition uproar.

He dismissed accusations that the government was interfering with religious institutions, citing Article 25(1) of the Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of religion but also subjects it to public order, morality, and health.

"The government is not interfering with any religious structure, event, or practice. The Waqf Bill is purely about property management," Rijiju clarified.

The bill builds upon the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, which had similar objectives. The government hopes that the proposed reforms will receive broad support across party lines.