Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that there are no provisions for appointing non-Muslims in the process related to the religion in the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025.
While addressing the Lok Sabha over the Waqf Amendment Bill, Amit Shah clarified that the non-Muslim members will be included in the council and Waqf Board, but would only look after the administration of property donated by someone under Waqf Law.
“Waqf Act and Board came into effect in 1995. All the arguments about the inclusion of non-Muslims inclusion 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,” he said.
“Where will non-Muslim members be included? In 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.
These remarks came as Union minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju tabled the Waqf Amendment Bill today as proposed by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, in the Lower House for consideration and passage. Waqf refers to assets set aside solely for religious or charitable purposes under Islamic law, with any other use or sale of the property being forbidden.
Amit Shah said that a person can donate only property that belongs to him and cannot donate property which belongs to the government or any other individual.
He said changes have been made only in provisions related to Council and Board in the 1995 Act, which deal with administrative tasks.
