Sonia Gandhi criticises Waqf Bill, calls it an attack on the Constitution

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi strongly opposed the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, calling it a “brazen assault” on the Constitution. She spoke at the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting in Delhi’s Samvidhan Sadan on Thursday.

“Yesterday, the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, was passed in the Lok Sabha, and today it is scheduled for the Rajya Sabha. The bill was, in effect, bulldozed through. Our party’s position is clear—the bill is a brazen assault on the Constitution itself. It is part of the BJP’s deliberate strategy to keep our society in a state of permanent polarisation,” she said.

On Wednesday, the Lok Sabha passed the bill after a 12-hour debate, with 288 votes in favor and 232 against. Opposition claims that all the changes suggested by their members were rejected. The Bill is now set for discussion in the Rajya Sabha.

Concerns over constitutional integrity

Sonia Gandhi also criticised the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill, calling it “another subversion of the Constitution”. She warned that the Modi government was systematically weakening democratic institutions and pushing the country towards becoming a ‘surveillance state’.

“Whether it is education, civil rights and liberties, our federal structure, or the conduct of elections, the Modi government is dragging the country into an abyss where our Constitution will remain on paper and we know their intention is to demolish even that,” she said.

She accused the ruling party of ignoring important issues, including the long-pending implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill and the demand for special reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.

Opposition leaders speak out

Other opposition leaders joined in criticising the Bill. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi called it an attack on the Constitution’s basic structure. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav warned that it could harm India’s secular fabric.

However, the BJP defended the Bill. Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “The amendments were necessary because the UPA-era changes gave the Waqf Act an overriding effect over other laws.” Home Minister Amit Shah also justified the Bill, saying it ensures fair governance of Waqf properties.

Challenges in Parliament

Sonia Gandhi also alleged that opposition leaders were not being allowed to speak in Parliament. “It is a matter of grave concern to our democracy that the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha is not permitted to speak,” she said, adding that similar restrictions were being imposed in the Rajya Sabha.

She urged Congress MPs to counter the BJP’s attacks by highlighting governance failures in BJP-ruled states. “This will require more homework and research from our side,” she noted.

The Congress leader also emphasised the need to expose what she called ‘repackaged’ government schemes. “The Prime Minister is rebranding and marketing many initiatives from 2004-2014 as his own personal accomplishments. That too needs to be exposed,” she said.