New Delhi: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday attacked senior Rajya Sabha members for creating confusion and raising issues in the House but not staying back to listen to the replies of the ministers concerned.
Rijiju was referring to the comments made by independent MP Kapil Sibal, who raised to oppose the bill.
The minister said that Sibal has created confusion on the bill by comparing properties of Waqf bodies with those of other religious bodies.
During the discussion on The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025, Sibal opposed the proposed legislation and said that there were also rights for non-Muslims to make Waqf.
“When it is my land, then who are you to make law for that,” he said.
He mentioned the different high court judgements upheld before independence, making Waqf even by Hindus and in some cases for the welfare of Muslims like giving land for a graveyard (by Hindus). He noted that there are 32 Waqf boards in different states.
He mentioned that there are over 10 lakh acres of land in Hindu (religious) institutions in four states. “In Hindu religion, the self-acquired property can be given to sons and not daughters,” he said.
He asked to change the law to give rights in self-acquired property to daughters also.
He urged the government to bring a law to give effect to this. He told the House that earlier, there was an unauthorised encroachment on Waqf property, and even the government acquired the property.
“You brought the 12-year law (which provides that anybody in possession of property for 12 years or more is the owner),” he said.
Rijiju intervened and objected to the wrong comparison of the religious land of Hindus in four states with that of Muslims.
He also expressed dismay over raising issues by senior members in the House who never stay back to listen to the reply on the debate by the concerned minister.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned that the government appoints the officials to manage these religious bodies that manage these properties (Hindu).
Sibal said that he was making the same point that these properties are maintained by the government. “Waqf property belongs to God and cannot be sold. It can be donated for graveyards, schools etc. Once the land is donated, it cannot be taken back,” he said.
Addressing Sibal, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said he had given different legal explanations to him.
Dhankhar said that self-acquired property can be given to sons, daughters or anyone else as this is the law of the land.
Participating in the debate, IUML MP Haris Beeran said that there is no natural justice in this draft legislation, as a government official can go to another government official claiming that this property does not belong to Waqf.
He also pointed out that if the documents are not provided in six months, then the Waqf properties will go away.
Opposing the bill, he also claimed that in another religious endowment, people of only one religion are allowed to manage properties.
Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi opposed the bill, saying that if the government was concerned about the welfare of Muslims, then it should have taken the community into confidence before bringing this bill into the House.
He charged that the bill was being brought to acquire the properties managed by the Waqf bodies.
