Yesterday, the bill was tabled in the upper house after the government had cleared it through the lower house a day earlier.

It seeks to give the federal government more control over the management of waqf properties.

The term refers to land or real estate gifted to Muslims for religious, educational or other philanthropic purposes.

Islamic law prohibits any other use or sale of such properties, which are managed by regional waqf boards.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government wants non-Muslim members to take key positions in the boards, a contentious amendment which was strongly opposed.

The final passage of the bill led to resignations within an allied party.

“We will now enter an era where the framework will be more modern and sensitive to social justice,” posted Modi on social platform X today.

Waqf properties are often used as mosques, schools or community spaces across the country, and many were verbally donated to the local boards.

As per the bill, the boards will have to present legitimate paperwork during surveys to establish control or risk it being passed to the government.

The bill needs to be formally signed by the president of India for it to become law.

Opposition parties collectively opposed the passage of the bill during the two-day discussion, with most calling it “unconstitutional”.

“This bill is not good for Muslims or for our constitution,” Indian National Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in the upper house of the parliament yesterday.

The bill allows reclamation of any state-owned land previously allocated as waqf and provides the federal government sweeping powers over registration and audits of such properties.