RS Witnesses Marathon Debate to Pass Waqf Amendment Bill

After the Lok Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill by a 288-232 vote in the early hours of Thursday following 12 hours of debate, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju tabled the Bill in the Rajya Sabha later on Thursday.

- ARCHIS MOHAN

The Upper House, with all constituents of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) backing the Bill, was expected to pass the proposed law after another marathon debate.

Sources in the Opposition said they were hopeful of getting at least a hundred members of parties unaffiliated to the NDA or the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, such as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the YSR Congress Party, to oppose the Bill. However, the BJD, which had earlier conveyed to Opposition parties that it would oppose the Bill, announced on Thursday that it has allowed its members to "exercise their conscience" during the vote in the Rajya Sabha, and opted to not issue a whip.