ANI
03 Apr 2025

New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI): The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Thursday released a statement outlining its official stance on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025, reflecting the party's 'constructive position' and 'deep connection with the Muslim community.'

During the discussion on the matter in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, party MP Krishna Prasad Tenneti underscored TDP's four-decade-long commitment to Muslim empowerment, positioning the party's stance as both progressive and community-focused as the bill, passed in the Lok Sabha, now heads to the Rajya Sabha.

In his speech in Lok Sabha, Tenneti emphasised the TDP's constructive role since the bill's introduction, stating, 'The TDP advocated for the establishment of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for deeper deliberations with all sections.'

Highlighting the party's contributions, he noted, 'During the course of these deliberations, TDP suggested three important amendments keeping in view the welfare of muslims. One of these was the prospective applicability of the waqf-by-user clause. Another was the dispute resolution by an officer above the rank of collector.'

He said that the TDP urged the government to provide 'flexibility' to the state governments in deciding the composition of the waqf boards. 'This flexibility can be provided in the rules under the Act.'

Taking a dig at the YSRCP, he remarked, 'The YSRCP has merely played politics and not worked for minorities--their JPC representative attended only 47 per cent of the meetings.'

Earlier on Thursday, Union Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju moved a motion for consideration of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill of 2025 and the Musalmaan Wakf (Repeal) Bill in the Rajya Sabha. While addressing the upper house of Parliament, Rijiju cited the Sachar committee report, which recommended that the central Waqf council and state Waqf board be broadened to make them inclusive. He was apprised about the number of Waqf properties, saying that the Sachar committee estimated the earnings from 4.9 lakh properties at Rs 12,000 in 2006.

'As of today, there are 872,000 Waqf properties. In 2006, if the Sachar committee had estimated the earnings from 4.9 lakh Waqf properties at Rs 12,000 crore, then you can imagine the income these properties must be generating now. The Sachar committee also recommended that the central Waqf council and state Waqf board should be broadened to make them inclusive. The committee also recommended specific steps to be taken for the benefit of women and children,' Rijiju said.

Appealing to Congress and allies to support the Waqf Amendment Bill, Rijiju said that all the recommendations given by previous committees have been incorporated into the newly amended bill.

Rijiju said that the Ministry of Minority Affairs had prepared the bill after taking into confidence many stakeholders across the country. He said that a total of 284 organisations gave their opinions on the bill, and over one crore people submitted memorandums to register their opinions regarding the same. (ANI)