Amit Shah Exposes UPA's Appeasement, Corruption in Waqf Boards & Need for Waqf Amendment Bill
- MGMMTeam
- Apr 3
- 6 min read
On April 2, 2025, the Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill following an intense 12-hour debate. During the discussion, Union Home Minister Amit Shah delivered a historic speech, strongly criticizing opposition leaders for allegedly politicizing the bill to appease their Muslim vote bank. Here are the key highlights of his address.
HM Amit Shah: Non-Muslim Members Excluded from Waqf Board Religious Activities, Waqf Boards Not Religious Institutions
During his speech, Minister Shah stated that there is no provision for involving non-Muslims in the administration of religious institutions, nor do they intend to introduce such provisions. He accused the opposition of spreading misinformation, alleging that the Bill is being misrepresented as an attempt to interfere with Muslim religious activities and donated properties. He claimed that the opposition is instilling fear among the minority community to serve its political interests.
The Union Home Minister clarified that the role of non-Muslims would be limited to ensuring that charity-related administration adheres to regulations. Amit Shah explained that Waqf in India functions like a trust, with trustees and a managing trustee. In Waqf, the Waqif (donor) and Mutawalli (administrator) are followers of Islam. He further highlighted that while Waqf is a religious matter, Waqf Boards and Waqf properties themselves are not religious institutions. As per the law, a Charity Commissioner can belong to any religion, as their role is not to manage the trust but to ensure the Board operates in compliance with charity laws. Shri Shah reiterated that this is an administrative issue, not a religious one.
“Waqf Act and Board came into effect in 1995. All the arguments about the inclusion of non-Muslims are about interference in the Waqf. First of all, no non-Muslim would come into the Waqf. Understand this clearly…There is no such provision to include any non-Muslim among those who manage the religious institutions; we do not want to do this…This is a huge misconception that this Act will interfere with the religious conduct of Muslims and interfere with the property donated by them. This misconception is being spread to instil fear among minorities for their vote bank,” Amit Shah said.
“You (Opposition) would break this country…Through this House, I would like to tell Muslims of the country that not even one non-Muslim would come into your Waqf. This Act has no such provision. But what would the Waqf Board and Waqf Council do? To catch the people selling off Waqf properties and drive them out, to catch those who lease off their properties for 100 years in the name of Waqf. The income of Waqf is dropping, the income with which we have to do development for minorities and push them forward, that money is being stolen. Waqf Board and Council will catch that,” he added.
Amit Shah stated that an individual can only donate property they legally own and cannot donate property belonging to the government or another person.
He clarified that the amendments made to the 1995 Act pertain solely to provisions related to the Council and Board, focusing on administrative matters.
“Where will non-Muslim members be included? In the Council and Waqf Board. What would they do? They won’t run any religious activity. They would only look after the administration of property donated by someone under Waqf Law, whether it is being done as per law, whether the property is being used for the intent with which it was donated,” he added.
Amit Shah also made a remark aimed at RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, whose party is a member of the INDIA alliance. “When amendments to the Waqf were introduced in 2013, Lalu Prasad Yadav stated that he wanted a strict law and wanted to put those in jail who were stealing. Narendra Modi has fulfilled Lalu Prasad Yadav’s wishes,” the Home Minister said.
Home Minister Exposes Waqf Boards' Arbitrary Land Ownership Claims Nationwide
Home Minister Amit Shah further stated that if the Waqf law had not been amended in 2013, this bill would not have been required. However, just before the 2014 elections, the Waqf law was significantly altered overnight to serve appeasement interests, resulting in the allocation of 123 prime properties in Delhi’s Lutyens’ Zone to Waqf. Additionally, the Delhi Waqf Board transferred Northern Railways' land to Waqf.
“Had Waqf not been amended in 2013, this (current Amendment Bill) Bill would not have been needed. Everything was going well. But there were elections in 2014, and overnight in 2013, the Waqf Act was turned extreme for appeasement. As a result, the Congress government handed over 123 VVIP properties in Lutyens Delhi to Waqf when elections were just around the corner, just 25 days away,” he said.
In Himachal Pradesh, land was unlawfully designated as Waqf property and used for constructing unauthorized mosques. In Tamil Nadu, 400 acres of land belonging to the 1,500-year-old Tiruchendur temple were classified as Waqf property. A committee report from Karnataka revealed that 29,000 acres of Waqf land were leased for commercial purposes. “Between 2001 and 2012, in the name of Waqf, properties worth ₹2 lakh crore were leased to private institutions for 100 years,” Minister Shah said.
He also stated that the High Court in Bengaluru had to step in to halt the acquisition of 602 acres of land. In Honwad village, located in Karnataka's Vijaypur area, 1,500 acres became the center of controversy as land valued at ₹500 crore was leased to a five-star hotel for a mere ₹12,000 per month.
“All this money is meant for the welfare of poor Muslims, not for the plundering of the wealthy,” Shah said.
He also discussed cases where Waqf Boards have unjustly claimed ownership of Hindu temples and Christian properties. “In Karnataka, a claim was made on the Dattapeeth temple. In Taliparamba, an attempt was made to seize 600 acres of land based on a 75-year-old claim. Even properties belonging to the Christian community were seized. Many churches in the country have opposed the Waqf Bill because they see it as a means to win the sympathy of the Muslim community. However, in four years, even the Muslim brothers will realize that this bill is actually in their benefit,” Shah asserted.
The Home Minister also highlighted that in Telangana, a claim was made on 1,700 acres of land valued at ₹66,000 crore. A similar incident occurred in Assam, where a claim was filed for 134 acres in Morigaon district. Additionally, fourteen Marla of land associated with a Gurudwara in Haryana was transferred to the Waqf, and Chandrashekhar Azad Park in Prayagraj was also designated as Waqf property. In Maharashtra, a claim was made on the Mahadev temple in Vadange village, while in Beed, the Waqf Board allegedly seized 12 acres of land from Kankaleshwar.
Amit Shah further stressed that the Modi government established a joint committee, which conducted 38 meetings, accumulated 113 hours of discussion, consulted 284 stakeholders, and invited online suggestions before drafting the law. Additionally, a 16-hour debate has now been conducted on the Waqf Bill.
Amit Shah on Opposition's ‘Muslim Nahi Maanenge’ Threats: India’s Law is Binding on All
During HM Shah’s speech, opposition MPs were heard stating that India’s Muslim community would not accept the Waqf Amendment Bill. In response, Minister Shah emphasized the statement made by one of the opposition MPs, firmly asserting that the Waqf Amendment Bill is a law enacted by the Indian government, passed by Parliament, and is binding on all.
“A member here said that minorities will not accept this law. What is this—an attempt to threaten? This is a law passed by Parliament, and everyone must accept it. What does it even mean to say that you won’t accept the law? How can anyone claim that they will not abide by it? This is a law of Bharat Sarkar, and it will be binding on everyone. It must be accepted,” Shah said.
Shah also subtly criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, referring to him as a 'constitution book poser', and remarked, “Waving the Constitution has suddenly become a trend. But according to this very Constitution, how can any decision, whether by the government or a private institution beyond the judgment of the honourable court? The courts of this country cannot be denied access to such decisions. Where will citizens take their grievances? Where will those whose land has been taken away go? This will not be allowed. You did this for vote-bank politics, and we reject it. This cannot continue. If anyone has grievances, they should go to the court, and the court will deliver justice.”
The Waqf Amendment Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha with a 288-232 vote despite strong opposition from parties such as Congress, AIMIM, and SP. Critics argued that Waqf is an integral part of Islam and claimed the Bill violates the Constitution. In response, the government firmly refuted these allegations. Notably, the Bill also removes the controversial Section 40 of the Waqf Act, 1995, which had granted the Waqf Board the authority to claim properties overnight, including Hindu villages, temples, and other assets.
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