Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 3 (ANI): Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra on Thursday welcomed the passage of Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha terming it a 'great moment' for the entire country.

Vijayendra claimed that thousands of people were suppressed by the Waqf Board with Karnataka being a 'classic example' where the Waqf Board has taken over hundreds of properties belonging to temples or religious institutions.

Speaking to ANI, the BJP leader said, 'It's a great moment for the entire country. The issue of Waqf was long pending. For decades, thousands of people were suppressed by the Waqf Board, especially by Section 40... Yesterday, due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the bill was passed in the Lok Sabha. It's a historic moment... Karnataka is a classic example where hundreds of properties belonging to temples or religious institutions have been taken over by Waqf, and no one has the authority to question this in the Court... Don't worry about Congress. They themselves are to blame for the Waqf issue.'

Voicing support to the bill, BJP leader Tarun Chugh said the proposed legislation will bring transparency and accountability in Waqf.

'Leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Owaisi are only doing the work of misleading the Muslim community and creating artificial fear among them. This bill will bring transparency and accountability in Waqf....' Chugh told ANI.

The Waqf Amendment Bill which was passed in Lok Sabha is facing opposition from INDIA bloc parties.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh said that the Waqf Amendment Bill is against the Constitution of India and has been introduced to create fights, disputes, and controversies in the country.

The AAP MP further stated that they will oppose the bill in the Rajya Sabha too.

'We opposed this bill in the JPC as well; we registered our protest in the Lok Sabha yesterday, and today, when this bill comes to the Rajya Sabha, we will oppose it there too... This bill is against the Constitution of India... When Baba Saheb Ambedkar and the Constitution of India itself are not being respected...this bill has been brought with the intention of creating fights, disputes, and controversies in the country...' Singh told ANI.

Earlier today, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi launched a blistering attack on the BJP-led Union Government after the Waqf Amendment Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, stating that this bill is a 'brazen assault' on the Constitution and is BJP's strategy to keep society in a state of 'permanent polarisation.'

At the CPP general body meeting, Sonia Gandhi said, 'Yesterday, the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, was passed in the Lok Sabha, and today, it is scheduled to come up in the Rajya Sabha. The bill was, in effect, bulldozed through. Our party's position is clear. The Bill is a brazen assault on the Constitution itself. It is very much part of the BJP's deliberate strategy to keep our society in a state of permanent polarization.'

Union Minister JP Nadda will table the Waqf Amendment Bill in Rajya Sabha today. The House will discuss the bill at around 1 pm.

The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 after a marathon and heated debate. During this debate, members of the INDIA bloc fiercely opposed the legislation, while the BJP and its allies strongly supported it, saying it would bring transparency and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards.

The House sat beyond midnight to pass the legislation. Speaker Om Birla later announced the division's result. 'Subject to correction, Ayes 288, Noes 232. The majority is in favour of the proposal,' he said.

The government introduced the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation introduced in August last year. The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India.

It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records. (ANI)