Kaushambi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 3 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Thursday said that Waqf (Amendment) Bill will benefit the poor from the Muslim community, alleging that some 'mafia-type' people were taking advantage of waqf properties.

'We have faith that the Waqf Amendment Bill will definitely be passed in the Rajya Sabha as well. The government, under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, is correcting the cancerous issues bequeathed by the Congress government to India one by one,' Maurya told ANI.

'Earlier, some mafia-type people were taking advantage of Waqf but now poor Muslims will reap its benefits,' he added.

Lok Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill after a marathon debate in the House with Union Home Minister Amit Shah assuring the Muslim community that the new Bill does not interfere with their religious practices.

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.

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

'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,' Sonia Gandhi said.

Delhi State Haj Committee Chairperson Kausar Jahan on Thursday welcomed the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, calling it a historic day and a good step for the welfare of the Muslim community.

Speaking to ANI, Kausar Jahan said, 'It is a historic day. The Waqf Amendment Bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha and today it will be passed in the Rajya Sabha as well. It has proved to be a milestone under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi. Waqf properties will be managed and put to good use. It is a good step for the welfare of the 'qaum'.'

Kausar Jahan also condemned Sonia Gandhi's remarks on the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, saying that when a positive step is being taken for the community's betterment, instead of supporting it, 'you're opposing it.' (ANI)