April 3, 2025: Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing the party of drastically altering the Waqf law in 2013, just ahead of the 2014 general election, to appease a section of the community.

Shah claimed that these changes led to the misuse of Waqf properties, including the allocation of high profile properties in Delhi, illegal conversion of land in Himachal Pradesh, and the declaration of temple land in Tamil Nadu as Waqf property.

Shah cited several instances of waqf land being misused, including the leasing of 29,000 acres of land in Karnataka for commercial use and the leasing of land worth Rs 500 crore to five-star hotel for just Rs 12,000 per month. He emphasized that Waqf Bill 2025 aims to improve the administration and management of Waqf properties, overcome the shortcomings of the previous act, and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards.

The Home Minister also clarified that Muslims can now register their trusts under the Waqf trust act, making a separate waqf law unnecessary. He also defended the role of the District Collector in investigating waqf land, stating that the collector has the authority to verify whether a land is waqf or not.