New Delhi, Apr 4: After a marathon debate of nearly 14 hours, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 was passed by Rajya Sabha in the wee hours of Friday.
As per reports, the bill was passed in the Upper House of the Parliament with 128 votes in favor and 95 against. Earlier, the bill was cleared by the Lok Sabha following a 12 hours debate, with 288 votes in favor and 232 against.
With this, both Houses have approved changes to the Waqf Bill of 1995 and the repeal of the Mussalman Wakf Act of 1923. The next step is for the President to give approval, after which it will become law.
The Bill will soon be sent to President Droupadi Murmu, and her approval will allow changes to the 1995 laws that govern Waqf properties.
One of the key moments in last night’s Rajya Sabha voting was the Biju Janata Dal (BJD)’s stance on the controversial bill.
Based on the numbers from the NDA and INDIA bloc, the bill was expected to pass in the Rajya Sabha but with a smaller margin compared to the Lok Sabha. The NDA was initially predicted to get support from 123 MPs but ended up securing 128 votes, while the INDIA bloc received 95 votes instead of the expected 98.
Hours before the voting, Naveen Patnaik’s BJD allowed its 7 MPs to vote freely, without being bound by a party whip. Some BJD MPs cross-voted in favor of the NDA, helping it gain more votes than expected.
The bill required 119 votes to pass, but with BJP’s effective floor management, it secured 128.
Meanwhile, Congress has announced that it will challenge the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, in the Supreme Court.
