Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Parliament’s early Friday passage of a bill amending laws governing land donated by Muslims a “watershed moment.”
Posting on X, Modi described the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, as a step toward “socio-economic justice, transparency, and inclusive growth.”
The bill passed the upper house of Parliament following a heated 16-hour debate, with 128 members voting in favor and 95 opposing it.
Promising the bill would benefit the marginalized, Modi thanked all the lawmakers who participated in the discussions regarding the bill.
From bill to law
Waqf refers to properties dedicated exclusively for religious, educational, or charitable purposes under Islamic law. Once designated as waqf, these properties cannot be sold or transferred.
Tabled by Modi’s nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the bill permits non-Muslims on boards that govern these properties and enables the government to determine ownership of the land in case of any dispute.
Having now passed both houses of Parliament, the bill will be sent to President Droupadi Murmu for her approval to become law.
‘Trying to snatch the rights of minorities’
Critics of the bill, which include Muslim groups, say the proposal is discriminatory, politically motivated and an attempt by Modi’s Hindu nationalist ruling party to weaken minority rights.
They say the bill, which grants sole authority to a government official to confirm waqf property claims, could undermine the board and potentially lead to Muslims losing their land.
Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of Opposition in the upper house and Congress Party member, said the BJP was “bulldozing” the bill through in an attempt to “snatch the rights of minorities,” according to The Indian Express newspaper.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a post on X called the bill “a weapon aimed at marginalizing Muslims and usurping their personal laws and property rights.”
Waqfs are Islamic charitable foundations where donors permanently dedicate property — often real estate — for religious or charitable purposes.
In India, waqf holdings include 872,000 properties spanning 405,000 hectares (1 million acres), with an estimated value of $14.22 billion (€12.95 billion).
Government and Muslim organizations estimate that more than 25 waqf boards are among India’s largest landowners.
Muslim groups feel the legislation could weaken control over waqf land, particularly as Hindu nationalist groups have recently laid claim to several mosques, arguing they were built over centuries-old Hindu temples.
