Parliament LIVE | All Leased Waqf Properties Sold, Retd CAG Officers Will Conduct Audits Now: Amit Shah In Lok Sabha

Discussion on The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024 continues in the Lower House. Working hours of Lok Sabha extended till passage of the bills.

"The count of leased Waqf Board properties stood at 20000, but 2025 records show that the figure is zero. Where did these properties go? They were sold. With whose permission were they sold? Now reports will have to be submitted, balance sheets will be reviewed, retired CAG officers will conduct audit and transparency will be achieved. Why should anyone be afraid of transparency? Any order of the Waqf Board or Council can also be taken to court. This provision was abolished by you (Congress) citing such orders cannot be challenged in the court," says Union Home Minister Amit Shah while presenting his statements in Lok Sabha on Waqf Amendment Bill 2025.

Jana Sena party MP from Kakinada Tangella Uday Sriniwas supported the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025 and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju for bringing the Bill.

He also highlighted the role of Telugu Desam Party in bringing the key amendments in the Bill. "Under the leadership of Pawan Kalyan Garu, Jana Sena has stood the the welfare of marginalised," added Sriniwas.

The discussion continued on the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha as the members have agreed to sit till late night.

Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah said that he was standing in the Lok Sabha to support the Bill brought by Kiren Rijiju.

"I have been listening to the debate which is going on since the morning. Kiren Rijiju will give a reply to the debate. I will clarify a few things. Waqf is an Arabi word and it means that the donation of property in the name of Allah. Waqf is a charitable endowment. Here the donation word is key. I cannot donate government properties," Shah said. "As far as India is concerned, the Waqf Board came into existence in 1995," Shah said.

Shah said that the work of Charity Commissioner is administrative. "You will divide the country," he lashed out at the Opposition.

"Waqf council, boards will be aimed at catching those exploiting Waqf properties," he added. "If amendments were did not happen in 2013, this Bill was not needed. Due to polls in 2024, in a night the Waqf was made extreme. Muslims will get to know in four years that this Bill will benefit them," Shah added.

He said several Catholic organizations from Kerala have supported the Bill and they too have termed the 2013 Bill as unfair.

After the address by Amit Shah, MPs continued the discussion on the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025 in the Lower House of the Parliament. AAP MP from Sangrur Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer spoke in Punjabi and opposed the Bill.

Congress member from Alappuzha KC Venugopal said we all came as representatives of people in the Lok Sabha. "So many legislations are coming during this period, our farmers are in the street, asking for MSP gurantee. Why is there is a guilty conscious in your mindset. In this Bill, you are providing non Muslims in the Waqf Board," Venugopal said.

He said that the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024 is a direct attack on the Indian Constitution. "The hidden agenda is to attack the religious freedom in the country," Venugopal said.

He referred to the speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rajasthan during the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to prove his point.

BJP MP Anurag Thakur said that from churches to different Muslims have supported the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025 and he was thankful to them.

"Today, Congress is creating a narrative in the country. They carry a book, which is not the Constitution. We want to give a clear message that 'Ek Hai Toh Safe Hai' (We are safe if we are one)," Thakur said.

He said that there was no audit and inspection and work was done to acquire land. "We have made a change in the law, so that the last person in the Muslim community stands benefited. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, whether there are sub-castes in Muslims. This will be the last nail in the coffin of Congress politics of appeasement," Thakur, who is an MP from Hamipur, added.

He also recalled that it was Narendra Modi government, which abrogated Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. "Congress and its allies done a deal for Constitution. After this Bill, everyone will get justice," the senior BJP leader said.

"This Bill is not against any community it is against Corruption. This Bill is not about Hindus versus Muslim," he said.

There was a tussle between Anurag Thakur and Congress when the former took the name of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. Dilip Saikia, who was in the Chair, expunged the name.

Thakur said that Lalu Prasad Yadav, who was a minister in the UPA government, had said that Waqf Board grabbed properties in Patna in Bihar.

"There is no accountability for Waqf Board," he said. Earlier, Congress member from Saharanpur Imran Masood opposed the Bill.

LJP (Ram Vilas) member from Jamui Arun Bharti supported the Bill. SP MP from Rampur Mohibbullah opposed the Bill. YSRCP MP from Rajampet in Andhra Pradesh PV Midhun Reddy said his party opposes the Bill. RJD member from Buxar Sudhakar Singh also opposed the Bill.

CPI (M) member from Alathur K Radhakrushnan also spoke on the Bill. He spoke in Malayalam.

Union Minister and senior Janata Dal (United) leader Rajeev Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh said that an atmosphere is being created that the Bill is anti-Muslim. "This is not new but it has been happening since the Bill was introduced and referred to Joint Parliamentary Committee. Waqf is not a religious institution and the Bill is not anti-Muslim," Lalan Singh, who is the Minister of Panchayati Raj, said.

"This narrative if you are making, if is for you vote and benefit," Lalan Singh said as she lashed out at the Opposition.

"In Bihar, Nitish Kumar is Chief Minister for 20 years. The work done for Muslims by Nitish Kumar had not been done since independence. Nitish Kumar gave justice to victims of Bhagalpur riots. Nitish Kumar does not do vote-bank politics and the work was done with the support of the BJP," Lalan Singh added.

He lashed out at the Opposition saying they are disturbed as justice was being given to Muslims. "You speak about women empowerment, are not women in Muslims? Muslim women have a right for development and this is being done by the Narendra Modi government. The way Nitish Kumar established secularism in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going ahead with secularism in the country," he said. Lalan Singh the Janata Dal (United) supports the Waqf Amendment Bill as it supports transparency.

After Lalan Singh, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP from Mumbai-South spoke on the Bill. "You have seen in Ayodhya, people showed your place," he said.

"What you are doing, do not think, it is right. Today, the Waqf Bill has come. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the Mangalsutras will be stolen and you suddenly are loving the (Muslim) community," Sawant said.

NCP member from Ahmednagar Nilesh Lanke said when the BJP came to power, they took the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj but it is going away from his thoughts.

Shiv Sena MP from Kalyan Shrikant Shinde said his party supports the Waqf Amendment Bill. "First 370, then Triple Talaq, then CAA and now Waqf Amendment Bill. I was pained while listening to Arvind Sawant's speech, whether he would have been able to make the speech if Balasaheb Thackeray was alive," Shinde said.

"Shiv Sena (UBT) is now having allergy to Hindus," Shinde added.

DMK member A Raja strongly opposed the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024 saying that the Parliament was being used as a ventilatory chamber. He also asked why the Centre was injecting non-Muslims in the Waqf Board.

"Our prayers is religion is something different and politics and do not mix them," Raja said urging the Centre to keep these two things separate to hold the secular fabric of the country.

After Raja, TDP MP from Bapatla Krishna Prasad Tenneti spoke extensively on the Bill. "The JPC engaged with 284 stakeholders and discussed facts. The result of this humungous exercise was a revised Bill. Our party TDP suggested three important amendments to ensure welfare of Muslims," Tenneti said

"There is a need to take care and upliftment of minorities," the TDP MP said. "The YSRCP has played politics. They have treated Muslims nothing but a vote-bank," he added.

He recalled that Nara Chandrababu Naidu had proposed the name of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who became India's 11th President. Tennati also recalled the works done by TDP for Muslims in undivided Andhra Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

AITC MP Kalyan Banerjee on Waqf (Amendment Bill): "On behalf of All India Trinamool Congress under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, I strongly oppose the bill in its entirety...The bill hits the basic structure of the constitution... Parliament is encroaching upon the power of the state legislature in deciding the question of the land and building of the Waqf. Thus it is totally unconstitutional".

Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav: "BJP has brought this bill to manage its falling votebank, especially in Uttar Pradesh. The saffron party wants to take control of Waqf land and then hand their control to their own people... BJP wants to play the politics of polarization by bringing this bill...They know that polarization helps them. This Waqf bill does not bring any hope, it is just a way to divide the people of this country. They even want to divide Muslims among themselves. Samajwadi Party fully opposes this bill".

Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav takes a dig at BJP during discussion on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025. "... A party that claims to be the biggest political party in the world has still not been able to elect its own national president.

In response, Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "Akhilesh Ji made his remark with a smile, so I will respond in the same manner. The parties sitting across from us in this House all have national presidents who are selected from just five family members. But in our party, we have to carry out a process involving 12-13 crore members, so naturally, it takes time. In your party, there is no delay at all..."

As the Parliament begins a debate on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Odisha’s opposition party, Biju Janata Dal, said on Wednesday that it will oppose the contentious legislation.

The party said it had made some suggestions to be incorporated into the Bill, which were rejected. The BJD, which has seven members in the Rajya Sabha, will oppose the Bill, BJD’s Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sasmit Patra told PTI.

The regional party headed by former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, however, has no member in the Lok Sabha. Stating that BJD Rajya Sabha member Muzibulla Khan will speak on behalf of the party in Parliament during the debate on the matter, Patra said the party is not satisfied with the Bill. The Centre has amended certain points in the Bill after the JPC, he said.

The BJD leader said the Bill grants sweeping powers to the state government in determining the status of Waqf land, which could lead to undue interference. Patra also claimed that the absence of legal and institutional support for Waqf bodies exposes them to bureaucratic delays and mismanagement.

This apart, the bill also fails to provide a truly independent appellate mechanism, potentially leading to arbitrary classification of Waqf properties, he claimed. He reiterated the BJD’s commitment to safeguarding the rights of all communities and ensuring transparent and just governance.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, opening the discussion for the opposition, strongly criticized the government in the Lok Sabha, alleging that the Waqf Amendment Bill was an attempt to undermine constitutional values and marginalize minority communities. "This bill is not just about administrative changes; it is a deliberate effort to dilute the Constitution, defame minority communities, divide Indian society, and ultimately disenfranchise minorities," Gogoi asserted.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, speaking in Parliament, accused the government of setting a precedent with the Waqf Amendment Bill that could lead to targeting other religious communities in the future. "Today, they have their eyes on one community's land; tomorrow, it will be another's," he warned, expressing concerns over potential future actions.

"I heard the honourable minister on the day when this bill was introduced and today also. The day this bill was introduced, he said that there were comprehensive discussions over it. This is completely misleading. There was no mention of the need of a new Waqf (Amendment) Bill during the five meetings of the Ministry of Minority Affairs. We have seen the minutes of these meetings. I just want to ask whether this bill has been made by the Ministry of Minority Affairs or another ministry?" he added.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday tabled the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, as proposed by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, in the Lok Sabha for consideration and passage. The bill seeks to improve the administration of Waqf properties, introduce technology-driven management, address complexities and ensure transparency.

Introducing the bill, Rijiju said the consultation process of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was the largest ever exercise carried out by a parliamentary panel in India's democratic history. He said over 97.27 lakh petitions and memorandums were received by the JPC through physical and online formats and the JPC had gone through each of them before finalising its report.

The minister said as many as 284 delegations submitted their views on the bill besides the Waqf boards of 25 states and Union Territories. Legal luminaries, charitable organisations, academicians and religious leaders, among others, have also submitted their opinions, he said.

"The government is not going to interfere in any religious institution. The changes made in the Waqf law by the UPA government gave it an overriding effect over other statutes, hence, the new amendments were required," Rijiju said amid noisy opposition protest. "You tried to mislead the people on issues which are not part of the Waqf Bill," Rijiju told the opposition .This bill has nothing to do with religion but deals only with properties, he added.

According to the bill, trusts created by Muslims under any law will no longer be considered Waqf, ensuring full control over the trusts. As per the bill, only practising Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their property to Waqf, restoring pre-2013 rules. Also, women must receive their inheritance before Waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans.

The bill also proposes that an officer above the rank of collector will investigate government properties claimed as Waqf. In case of disputes, the senior government official will have the final say on whether a property belongs to Waqf or the government. This replaces the existing system where such decisions are made by Waqf tribunals.

Also, the bill proposes that non-Muslim members will be included in the central and state Waqf boards for inclusivity. Women must receive their inheritance before Waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans. Earlier, Speaker Om Birla rejected the opposition's objections that the government has no power to insert new provisions in the amended bill.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the bill was tabled after a long process of consultations carried out by the JPC.

Even before the debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha, Opposition MPs raised issues of point of order. Congress member KC Venugopal accused the government of trying to bulldoze the bill, saying that they had not been given enough time to move their amendments. "You are bulldozing the legislation, you need to give time for the amendments, their no time for amendments," he said.
Speaker Om Birla said that he had given equal consideration to the amendments of the government and the opposition members. With RSP's NK Premachandran raising some objections to the procedure adopted by the government over the bill, Home Minister Amit Shah said that the union cabinet had approved the amendments which had been incorporated in the bill. He said the amendments were based on the report of JPC. "There is no point of order," he said.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), a major organisation representing Muslims in India, on Wednesday said it will challenge the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in court, calling it a "black law" that threatens the rights of the community.

The Waqf legislation is being taken up for debate and passage in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. If passed by the Lower House, the bill will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha.

Criticising the bill at a press conference, AIMPLB member Md Adeeb claimed it is an attempt to seize the properties of the Muslim community.

"They have started this spectacle thinking they can take away our property. Can this be accepted? Do not think that we are defeated," Adeeb said, emphasising that the fight against the bill is just a beginning.

Stating that the bill was opposed during deliberations in the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) set up to review it, Adeeb said, "It should not be assumed that we have lost the battle. We have just begun. This is a fight to save the country because the proposed law endangers the very fabric of India." Adeeb, who urged all conscientious citizens to resist the bill, reaffirmed the AIMPLB's commitment to oppose the proposed legislation both legally and through public demonstrations.

"We will go to court. We will not rest until this law is withdrawn," he said.

Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday discussed the Congress Party's stance on the upcoming Waqf Bill with the party's Lok Sabha Members of Parliament (MPs). Gaurav Gogoi, the Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, K Suresh, and many other leaders attended the meeting. The meeting focused on strategizing to strongly present the Congress Party's stance on the Waqf Amendment Bill.

YSRCP MP M Gurumurthy on Wednesday said the party will oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha. "We will oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament," Gurumurthy said.

The YSRCP, which has four MPs in the Lok Sabha, will voice its opposition as the bill comes up for discussion and subsequent passage on Wednesday.

As Waqf Bill is to be tabled in Lok Sabha today, AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said, "We oppose the Bill, in the name of transparency and accountability if an amendment is brought, it lacks clarity. 8.7 lakh immovable properties are in the name of Waqf across India, none of the states, even the BJP-ruled states have completed the survey of the properties, such being the case, what is the need and hurry to table a Bill in the name of bringing transparency on the properties owned by Waqf."

" You cannot arm-twist the minorities in the name of these amendments, if a non-believer can be a member on the board, won't it hold good for Hindu-run religious and charitable institutions across India, with the country being a secular state, if this is applicable, won't it hold same for the Hindu-run religious institutions, this is the question, BJP is throwing a stone at a beehive, we strongly oppose," he added.

CPI(M) on Wednesday announced its opposition to the Waqf Amendment Bill, proposed by the NDA government at the Centre and said the party MPs will vote against it in Parliament. This stance comes amid protests from the Catholic Church, criticising MPs from Kerala for their position on the bill.

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan indicated the party's stand while speaking to media on the sidelines of the 24th party congress being held in Madurai, Tamil Nadu from April 2 to 6. Govindan also brushed aside the stand taken by the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) on the issue, saying it would not affect the party's view on the matter.

"Let there be no doubt, that we will take a stand against the Waqf Bill. We have already made our stand clear. We do not keep changing our stand based on what others are saying. We have a clear stand," he said. Meanwhile, the BJP in Kerala will be holding marches to the residences of all INDIA bloc MPs in the state during the day in protest against their opposition to the Waqf Bill, the saffron party said in a statement.

Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi staged a protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill in front of Parliament on Wednesday ahead of the tabling of the bill in the House. Imran Pratapgarhi wore black attire and held a placard that read, "Reject Waqf Bill," during his protest.
The Waqf Amendment Bill of 2025, which aims to amend the Waqf Act of 1995 is going to be tabled in Parliament for passing on Wednesday.

Proceedings of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha resumed at 11 am

Union Minister and JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh said, "We will tell our stand in Parliament. JD(U) and CM Nitish Kumar do not need to learn the definition of secularism from Congress."

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Tuesday appealed to all secular political parties, including the BJP's allies, and members of Parliament to strongly oppose the Waqf bill and not vote in its favour under any circumstances.

Its appeal came a day before the Lok Sabha takes up the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill for discussion and passage. The Rajya Sabha is expected to take it up on Thursday, with the two Houses allocated eight hours each for debating the proposed law.

All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) president Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani appealed to all secular parties and members of Parliament to not only strongly oppose the Bill when presented in Parliament but also vote against it to "prevent the BJP's communal agenda".

The Bill is not only based on discrimination and injustice but also directly contradicts the provisions of fundamental rights under articles 14, 25 and 26 of the Constitution, he said in a statement.

"Today is a historic day and today the Waqf Amendment Bill will be introduced in the Lok Sabha and this bill is being introduced in the interest of the country. Not only crores of Muslims but the whole country will support it. Those who are opposing it are doing so for political reasons. I will present the facts in the House. And I also want that if someone opposes, they should oppose on the basis of logic and we will also answer them. Because when we are bringing such a bill, we have come after a lot of thought and preparation..," said Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju.

On the introduction of the Waqf Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha today, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav said, "Our party will oppose it... What could be a bigger injustice than not giving importance to the words of the people for whom this bill is being brought?... " He further says, "... BJP is a party which loves land a lot... They sold railways land, defence land and now Waqf land will be sold... This is all a plan to hide their failures... Our Chief Minister says that politics is his part-time job, so why don't the people of Delhi remove such part-time job holders?"

Ahead of the tabling of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha, Opposition has warned BJP allies, especially Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) and Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desham Paty for supporting the bill, saying that the 'blame' will be laid on them. JD(U) and TDP, on whose NDA government majority largely depends, have expressed their support for the bill.

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor said the government can never make the bill a law if leaders like Nitish Kumar do not support it. "The government doesn't have a majority in Lok Sabha. They are able to bring this law because people like Nitish Kumar are supporting the Government; if leaders like Nitish Kumar do not vote in support of this Bill in Lok Sabha, then the Government can never make this a law. BJP doesn't consider Muslims their vote bank," Kishor said.

Cautioning Nitish Kumar, Prashant Kishor said that he would be more blamed for this law when the history of this era is written. "People like Nitish Kumar who tell Muslims every day that they are the well-wishers of the community should definitely think that aren't they showing their hypocrisy by voting in support of this Bill even when they speak of Gandhi, Lohia and JP? When this era is written in history, the blame for this law will be more on leaders like Nitish Kumar than the BJP," Kishor added.

Additionally, Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Zia ur Rehman Barq said that the allies will face the consequences for supporting the bill. "The government may have majority figures, but its allies know that if they support this bill, they will have to face a lot of consequences in the coming times," he said.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has issued a three-line whip to all its Lok Sabha MPs to be present at the bill's tabling. According to a press release, "The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has issued a three-line whip to all its Members of Parliament, directing them to be present in the Lok Sabha on April 2, 2025. This directive comes in light of the scheduled introduction of the Waqf Bill, which is expected to be a matter of significant discussion in the House.

Janasena on Tuesday decided to extend support to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which is to come up for discussion and passage in the Lok Sabha on April 2.

Janasena believes that this amendment will "benefit" the Muslim community, said a party release.

"Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan issued directions to party MPs in the Lok Sabha, instructing them to vote in favour of the bill in the Parliament," said Janasena in the release.

Janasena has two MPs in the Lok Sabha.

Kalyan believes that amending the colonial era Waqf Act to the needs of the current age will result in "immense benefits", the release added.

Janasena is part of the ruling NDA in Andhra Pradesh, which also includes TDP and BJP.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board will hold a Press Conference on 2nd April 2025 at 11:30 am at the Press Club of India, Raisena Road, New Delhi, on the presentation of the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 in the Parliament. The press conference will be addressed by Sadatullah Husaini, Vice President, MI Fazlur Raheem Mujaddidi, General Secretary and Dr S. Q. R. Ilyas, spokesperson of AIMPLB.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday slammed the BJP over the proposed Waqf Bill, alleging the ruling party was bringing it to divert attention from real issues like "falling rupee", inflation and unemployment.

Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in a statement said that the BJP had promised in its 2009 manifesto to implement the Rahman Committee recommendations and had even supported the 2013 amendment Bill.

He questioned why the government was introducing a new Bill when it had already informed the Supreme Court that 99 per cent of Waqf properties were digitised.

"The Bill is an an attempt to spread hatred and divert attention from pressing issues like unemployment, inflation, and the falling rupee," Singh charged.

The BJP in its 2009 manifesto said that it would implement the recommendations of the Rahman Committee report and consult Muslim leaders before removal of illegal encroachments on Waqf properties, he said.

The BJP government in an affidavit in the Supreme Court in 2020 admitted that 99 per cent of Waqf properties were registered and digitised, the AAP leader claimed. This means that the government has already obtained all the necessary documents related to these properties, he said.

“If the government has already completed this process, why is it now introducing this new Bill?” Singh questioned.

"Our hard work has paid off...The government is coming with the bill in an amended form today. This is definitely a historic day. Today, with the passing of this bill, the poor Muslims and common people are going to benefit...We have conducted the JPC meetings in the last six months. We have heard them (Opposition) 8 hours every day...Whether it is our opposition or the All India Muslim Personal Law Board appealing to wear black bands in Mosques during the prayer on Ramzan, they are politicising the issue," said Waqf Amendment Bill JPC chairman and BJP MP Jagdambika Pal.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday whether Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray upholds the ideology of Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray will be seen when the Waqf Amendment Bill is tabled in Parliament.

The bill, which seeks to improve the administration and management of waqf properties, will be tabled in Parliament on Wednesday. It is likely to be first introduced in the Lower House.

Opposition parties are strongly opposed to the bill, slamming it as unconstitutional and against the interest of the Muslim community. Several leading Muslim organisations have been rallying support against the bill, which was scrutinised by a Joint Committee of Parliament and approved with several amendments "Let's see if Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray will uphold the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray, the Hindu Hriday Samrat, or will continue to follow in the footsteps of Rahul Gandhi in appeasement politics," Fadnavis posted on X.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve reacted to his statement, saying his party's stand will be known in Parliament.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has nine members in the Lok Sabha and two in the Rajya Sabha.

The Sena (UBT) MLAs were absent last year during a debate on the bill in the Lok Sabha.

The legislative business suggests that Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will move the Waqf Amendment Bill of 2025, which aims to amend the Waqf Act of 1995, for passing.Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress are issuing whips to their MPs to ensure their presence in the House. With the parties in the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the Opposition INDIA bloc showing no signs of bipartisan consensus building, the outcomes may be decided on the majority numbers on the floor.

The bill will be tabled after today's Question Hour for consideration and passing. Following that, an 8-hour discussion will be held, which is also subject to an increase. In line with the BJP and Congress, their allies have also issued a whip to all their MPs to be present in the parliament on April 2 and 3. The opposition has been vocal in its criticism of the Waqf Bill, with Samajwadi Party (SP) chief whip Dharmendra Yadav issuing a 3-line whip to all its MPs in the Lok Sabha to be present in the House on April 2 and participate in discussions on the Waqf Amendment Bill.

However, on Tuesday, INDIA bloc floor leaders also met in parliament to discuss the strategy for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The bill was earlier presented in the Lok Sabha in August of last year, following which a Joint Parliamentary Committee was formed under Jagdambika Pal's leadership for further consideration.

The Opposition INDIA bloc on Tuesday presented a united face as they discussed their joint strategy to oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament which will be taken up for discussion and passage in the Lok Sabha first.

The opposition parties held a meeting in the Parliament House to discuss and formulate their strategy as a showdown over the contentious bill is imminent. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, NCP leader Supriya Sule, TMC's Kalyan Banerjee, and AAP's Sanjay Singh attended the meeting.

DMK's T R Baalu, Tiruchi Siva and Kanimozhi, RJD's Manoj Kumar Jha, CPI-M's John Brittas, CPI's Santosh Kumar P, RSP's N K Premchandran and Vaiko were also present in the meeting.

"All the Opposition parties are united and shall work together on the floor of the Parliament, to defeat the Unconstitutional and divisive agenda of the Modi Govt on the Waqf Amendment Bill," Kharge said in a post on X.