Waqf Amendment Act, 2025: A Defining Legislative Victory for Modi 3.0

 In a significant parliamentary triumph, the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, was passed with a clear mandate in both houses of Parliament—288 votes to 232 in the Lok Sabha and 128 to 95 in the Rajya Sabha. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demonstrated exceptional floor coordination and political strategy, successfully garnering support even from traditionally non-aligned parties such as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the Upper House.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah played a pivotal role, personally overseeing the 12-hour-plus deliberations across two consecutive days, ensuring procedural precision and strategic oversight. According to senior government officials, the subordinate legislation required to operationalize the new law is expected to be introduced shortly, signaling a prompt rollout—unlike the delayed implementation witnessed with the Citizenship Amendment Act. The President's assent is anticipated within the coming week, a step that would formalize what many within the government have called "the most significant legislative achievement of Modi 3.0."

While the NDA holds 123 seats in the Rajya Sabha, the final vote count revealed a wider margin of support. All seven BJD members, previously critical of the bill in the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), were ultimately permitted to vote according to their conscience. This shift proved crucial, securing a comfortable majority above the 119-vote threshold required for passage in the Upper House.

Prime Minister Modi hailed the development as a “watershed moment in our collective quest for socio-economic justice, transparency, and inclusive growth,” emphasizing that the amended legislation would empower communities historically marginalized within the Waqf framework. “For too long, the Waqf system has symbolized opacity and lack of accountability,” the Prime Minister stated, highlighting its disproportionate impact on Muslim women, economically weaker Muslims, and the Pasmanda Muslim community.

The amendments to the Waqf Act of 1995, alongside the repeal of the long-standing Mussalman Wakf Act of 1923, align closely with the BJP’s broader ideological vision. These reforms join a series of landmark actions under successive Modi governments, including the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Upon assuming office in June 2024, the Modi government moved swiftly to address Waqf-related reforms. Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju was tasked with the initiative and immediately embarked on a comprehensive review of international Waqf practices, studying models from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

In just two months, following intensive collaboration with the Ministry of Law and Justice, the government introduced the bills amending the Waqf Act and repealing the Mussalman Wakf Act on August 8, 2024. The legislative package then underwent scrutiny through the JPC process for five months—a deliberate approach designed to accommodate concerns from NDA allies with significant Muslim constituencies, such as the JD(U), TDP, LJP (Ram Vilas), and RLD.

Prime Minister Modi had previously signaled this legislative direction during a speech following the BJP’s electoral victory in Maharashtra in November. In a pointed remark, he declared: “Waqf is an act of appeasement politics by the Congress, and it has no place in the Constitution.”

The JPC report was tabled in January, paving the way for what is now being seen as a landmark law that could significantly reshape minority welfare policy and institutional governance in India.