Waqf (Amendment) Bill Will Empower Muslim Women, Ensure Transparency: Ravi Shankar Prasad

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and former Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday defended the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, asserting that the legislation will empower Muslim women, ensure transparency in the management of Waqf properties, and hold Waqf boards accountable.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Prasad clarified that no mosque, graveyard (kabrastan), or place of worship would be affected by the Bill. “The issue is very simple and straight. Whether the intention of the ‘Waqif’, who created the Waqf for noble purposes, is being executed properly by the ‘Muttawali’, who is the manager, or not. A Waqf is not a religious body at all. It is a legal or statutory body,” he said.

Prasad emphasised that the Bill is aimed at curbing misuse of Waqf properties and bringing transparency to their management. “The Muttawali is just a superintendent or a manager. He does not have any rights over the property. Once a Waqf is created, the property vests in Allah,” he stated.

Highlighting misuse, the BJP MP cited examples from Patna’s Dak Bungalow area, where Waqf land has allegedly been used for commercial purposes, including five-star hotels and showrooms, contrary to its intended charitable use. “India has the highest number of Waqf properties in the world. How many hospitals, universities or training centres have been built? Is the manager using the property as intended, or is he stuffing his pockets?” he asked.

The legislation, passed by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, has faced opposition, but Prasad said public sentiment is with the government. “People were dismayed to learn that so much property is being misused… this Bill will be appreciated by people from across the country,” he added.

He further noted that digitisation of records and online access to Waqf property details will bring about greater public scrutiny and accountability. “Everything will be available online—what the property is, who the Muttawali is, and whether it is being used for the intended purpose,” he explained.

When asked about potential backlash from the Muslim community or the impact on Bihar politics, especially on BJP ally and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Prasad dismissed such concerns. “Questions about Mr. Kumar have been raised since 1996. He is a proud colleague and has been CM for 19 years,” he said.

He also responded to critics invoking the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), stressing that no Muslim has lost citizenship under the Act. “India’s polity has undergone a tectonic metamorphosis… the thinking of the minority youth has changed, and some are trying to frustrate that change using old arguments of the 1980s and 1990s,” Prasad said.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aims to improve governance of Waqf properties, empower stakeholders, and implement modern, scientific methods for efficient management.