For the first time since losing power in Andhra Pradesh last year, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), led by former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, has taken a firm stand against the Narendra Modi-led central government over the Waqf Amendment Bill, which was passed in Parliament on Thursday.
Senior YSRCP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Amzad Basha strongly condemned the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, describing it as unconstitutional and a blatant violation of Muslim rights.
Basha argued that the Bill contradicts several provisions of the Indian Constitution—specifically Articles 14, 15, 25, 26, and 300 — which safeguard equality, non-discrimination, religious freedom, and property rights.
“The NDA has betrayed its promise of equal rights and is undermining Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s Constitution,” he said.
He went on to label the Bill a deliberate attempt to seize Waqf properties — sacred assets donated for religious and charitable purposes — condemning Union Minister Kiren Rijiju’s claim that such properties belong to the government as completely baseless.
Highlighting that even donors have no right to reclaim Waqf land under existing laws, Basha questioned the central government’s legal justification for the move.
He also accused the TDP and Jana Sena of hypocrisy, pointing out that while they opposed the Bill in Andhra Pradesh, they supported it in Delhi.
He alleged that leaders Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan were aligning with the “anti-Muslim” NDA for political convenience.
Former YSRCP MLA Hafeez Khan also criticized the Waqf Amendment Bill, denouncing it as unconstitutional.
He noted that all Muslim MPs opposed the Bill in Parliament, citing its legal and ethical shortcomings and accusing the NDA of eroding India’s constitutional values.
Khan further alleged that the Bill, which has been widely rejected by Muslim organizations, is a ploy to seize Waqf lands and stoke religious tensions.
He also accused the NDA government of attempting to exploit Waqf assets through schemes like Umeed.
YSRCP MP Y V Subba Reddy voiced strong opposition to the Bill during the Rajya Sabha debate, warning that it threatens the constitutional rights and religious freedoms of India’s Muslim community.
Subba Reddy emphasized that the Bill could seriously damage the trust of Muslim citizens in both the Constitution and the Parliament.
He added that several respected Muslim organizations, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, had raised valid concerns about the Bill — yet their voices were ignored by the government.