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The Congress party on Friday announced plans to mount a legal challenge against the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, calling it an attack on the foundational values of the Indian Constitution. The party said it would approach the Supreme Court in the coming days to question the bill’s constitutional validity.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, in a post on social media platform X, criticized the Narendra Modi-led government, accusing it of systematically undermining democratic institutions and legal safeguards.
“The passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill is yet another blatant assault by the Modi government on the Constitution of India,” Ramesh wrote. “We are committed to resisting these moves, both in Parliament and in court.”
Ramesh highlighted that the Congress is already engaged in legal battles concerning several contentious legislations, including the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the amendments to the Right to Information Act (RTI), changes to the Election Conduct Rules, and efforts to uphold the Places of Worship Act, 1991.
“To this growing list, we will soon add our challenge against the Waqf Amendment Bill,” he added, reiterating the party’s resolve to defend constitutional values.
Contentious Bill Sparks Political Uproar
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was cleared by Parliament in the early hours of Friday, following a marathon debate in the Rajya Sabha that lasted over 13 hours. The bill secured 128 votes in favour and 95 against in the Upper House, while in the Lok Sabha, it passed with 288 ayes and 232 nays.
The passage of the bill, along with the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, triggered strong resistance from opposition parties. Several members of the INDIA bloc, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Aam Aadmi Party, Shiv Sena (UBT), RJD, Samajwadi Party, and Left parties, criticized the bill, calling it “discriminatory”, “unconstitutional”, and “targeted against Muslims.”
Opposition leaders alleged that the amendments were designed to facilitate the transfer of Waqf properties to corporate interests and would marginalize Muslim communities further.
The INC’s challenge of the CAA, 2019 is being heard in the Supreme Court.
The INC’s challenge of the 2019 amendments to the RTI Act, 2005 is being heard in the Supreme Court.
The INC’s challenge to the validity of the amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules (2024) is being…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 4, 2025
Government Defends Bill as Reform-Oriented
Defending the legislation, the government asserted that the changes represent “historic reforms” aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in the Waqf system. Ministers maintained that the bill would benefit marginalized Muslims, particularly women and Pasmanda communities, by curbing corruption and misuse of Waqf assets.
Despite repeated demands from the opposition for the withdrawal of the bill, the government stood firm, claiming that the legislation aligns with broader goals of socio-economic justice and modernization of religious endowment systems.
Legal Battle Ahead
With the Congress now officially preparing to challenge the legislation in court, the legal debate over the Waqf Bill is likely to dominate political discourse in the months ahead. The party has framed the battle as one to protect constitutional values and minority rights, while the government continues to pitch the reform as a step toward greater equity and accountability.
As the issue heads to the Supreme Court, it could become yet another flashpoint in the ongoing tussle between the ruling BJP and the opposition over the direction of policymaking in the country.
