Defending the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, the Union government hit back at the Opposition for allegedly spreading a fake narrative over changes made to the Waqf Act, 1995. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju slammed Congress and members of the Communist Party for claiming that the law was amended to seize masjid and kabristan properties. “The amendments are aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of Waqf properties,” the Union minister stated, while addressing the media in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Stating that there are 9.72 lakh Waqf properties in India, Rijiju said they were not being used for the welfare of underprivileged members of the Muslim community. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was working to uplift the poor, and changes to the Waqf rules were nothing but an effort to pass on the benefits to members of the community. “People were robbed and deprived of their rights. But, PM Modi is working hard to give these rights to those who deserve them. That’s the reason people have voted Modi-ji to power for the third consecutive term,” Rijiju added.