'Bharatiya Zameen Party': Opposition blasts BJP over Waqf bill, gives notice

Congress MPs KC Venugopal and Hibi Eden gave notice in the Lok Sabha on Thursday to oppose the introduction of a bill to amend the law governing Waqf boards. The bill, which will give the government a big say in regulating waqf properties, will be introduced by Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in Lok Sabha.

Other opposition parties also expressed concern over the proposed amendments and demanded that the bill be sent to Parliament's standing committee for scrutiny.

Taking potshots at the BJP, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav quipped that the party was working like a real estate company and should rename itself to "Bharatiya Zameen Party".

In a post on X, Yadav said the proposed bill was merely an excuse. "Waqf board lands are just another link in the chain of 'schemes for the benefit of BJP members' after defence land, Railway land, Nazul land," he said.

"A guarantee should be provided in writing that Waqf Board lands will not be sold," he said.

Samajwadi Party MP Awdhesh Prasad said the bill was an attempt by the government to encroach upon waqf property. "Let the bill be introduced in Parliament, the Samajwadi Party will make its stand clear," he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said the bill should be consulted with all the stakeholders and amendments should be made if needed.

"The way this bill is being brought, I would ask if it has been discussed within their alliance (NDA). Have JD(U) and TDP seen this Waqf bill and have given their consent? If it has not been done, then all the stakeholders, parliamentarians must be heard," she said.

Sources told India Today that the government wanted to get the amendment bill passed in the Lok Sabha unanimously, and it was also open to sending it to a joint parliamentary committee for discussion.

The legislation, which will be renamed as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, aims to streamline the manner of registration of waqf properties through a central portal.

Other key changes proposed include the formation of a Central Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards, which would have representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims.

The proposed bill, if enacted, will make the District Collector as the arbiter on whether a property is waqf property or government land.