Protests force Lok Sabha adjournment over controversial Waqf (Amend) Bill

NEW DELHI: The final four-day leg of the parliament budget session 2025 began on a heated note Wednesday as opposition MPs forced an adjournment in the Lok Sabha amid protests, primarily led by Samajwadi Party members against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

Samajwadi Party MPs disrupted proceedings around noon, waving placards and calling the Bill unfair and unconstitutional. Despite Speaker Om Birla’s directives to maintain order, opposition members continued their protest, leading to an adjournment until 2pm.

The confrontation in Lok Sabha appears linked to speculation that the government may attempt to table the Bill, which opposition parties have vowed to resist.

Following the adjournment, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi strongly condemned the Bill, stating, “All these actions have one objective — spreading hatred against Muslims. This is part of a larger Hindutva project aimed at distancing Muslims from their religion and seizing their religious properties.” He further argued, “Our demand is simple — what applies to Hindu religious properties and the Endowment Board should also apply here.”

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Fauzia Khan also voiced opposition, asserting, “The government may present the Bill, but we will oppose it. Our party and the entire Muslim community stand against it.”

Similarly, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Sasmit Patra criticised the government’s approach, stating, “Our stance is clear — we oppose this Bill. We have raised concerns before, and the way this legislation is being pushed through is unacceptable.”

With tensions running high, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is expected to remain a major flashpoint in the remaining days of the session.

Meanwhile, as part of its ongoing renaming drive, the BJP-led government has changed the names of 17 locations in Uttarakhand, all of which previously carried Muslim connotations. The move has drawn criticism from human rights organisations and opposition leaders, who argue that it deepens religious divides and contributes to historical erasure.

The renamed locations include 10 in Haridwar, four in Dehradun, two in Nainital, and one in Udham Singh Nagar. Among the notable changes:

Aurangzebpur (Haridwar) to Shivaji Nagar; Ghaziwali (Haridwar) to Arya Nagar; Khanpur (Haridwar) to Shri Krishnapur; Khanpur Kursali (Haridwar) to Ambedkar Nagar; Miyawala (Dehradun) to Ramjiwala; Chandpur Khurd (Dehradun) to Prithviraj Nagar; Nawabi Road (Nainital) to Atal Road; Panchukki Marg (Nainital) to Guru Golwalkar Marg (named after the second Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief).

The renaming spree has sparked concerns among activists and political critics, who accuse the government of systematically erasing Muslim heritage to push a majoritarian narrative. Critics argue that such changes are part of a broader effort to rewrite history and fuel religious polarisation at a time of rising communal tensions in India. While the government defends these changes as part of a cultural and historical reclamation effort, opposition leaders warn that such actions risk alienating minority communities and undermining India’s secular fabric.