Different shades of support from NDA allies for Waqf Bill 

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced the Waqf Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha during the Budget Session of the Parliament, in New Delhi on April 2, 2025.
| Photo Credit: ANI

The parties of the National Democratic Alliance showed varied shades of support for the Waqf (amendment) Bill, 2025. While the Bill received unqualified support from the Janata Dal (United) and Shiv Sena, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) was circumspect in its endorsement and the Telugu Desam Party urged the government for more flexibility for the State governments in determining composition of the Waqf boards.

The allies underlined the work they had done in the past for Muslims in an effort to establish their pro-minority credentials.

TDP MP Krishna Prasad Tenneti said the Centre, while framing Rules to the Act, should consider providing flexibility to the States in deciding the composition of Waqf boards in the interest of the Muslim women, youth and downtrodden. He spoke at length on the TDP’s contribution in making important amendments to the Bill, from prospective application of the “Waqf by User” clause to ensure that existing Waqf properties were not endangered, to appointing a designated officer for conducting the survey of Waqf properties instead of the District Collector, clauses the Opposition had objected to. He also spoke about the TDP’s role in extending the deadline for submitting Waqf property papers to the Central portal for registering the properties. “The TDP has put in an effort to safeguard Muslims’ interests and their upliftment,” Mr. Tenneti said. 

In sharp contrast, the JD(U) extended unqualified support with Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh attacking the Opposition for running a misleading narrative to brand the legislation as “anti-Muslim” in an attempt to vitiate the country’s atmosphere.

“Waqf is a sort of Trust which is formed to work in the interest of Muslims. This is not a religious organisation… The Trust has the right to do justice to all sections of Muslims, but that is not happening… Today, a narrative is being formed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being criticised, if you do like him then do not look at him. But appreciate his good work,” he said.

Speaking in a similar vein, the Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde lauded the legislation and used the opportunity to attack the Shiv Sena (UBT) for straying away from Bal Thackeray’s ideology. He said the Shiv Sena founder would be hurt if he listened to the Uddhav Thackeray faction. Flagging a dissent note by Shiv Sena (UBT) protesting inclusion of non-Muslims in the Waqf Board, Mr. Shinde said, “We thought they were allergic to Hindutva, turns out they are allergic to Hindus.”

LJP (Ram Vilas) was more circumspect in its endorsement of the Bill. Jamui MP Arun Bharti hailed the legislation for bringing in “transparency and accountability” and assured support for the law. But at no point in his speech, unlike the JD(U), did he praise the government or Mr. Modi for bringing in the legislation. Instead, he credited his party president Chirag Paswan as the first leader to call for an extensive debate on the proposed law when it was introduced in Parliament in August last year. Heeding to Mr. Paswan’s suggestion, he said, the government sent the Bill to the Joint Parliamentary Committee.