Srinagar/Jammu, April 9 — Jammu and Kashmir Assembly adjourned for the third straight day on Wednesday as Sajad Gani Lone and National Conference legislators jointly sought a discussion on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, urging the House to pass a resolution against the law passed by the Indian Parliament.
Calling the bill “anti-Muslim,” opposition members argued that the Assembly, representing a Muslim-majority region, must take a clear stand. However, the demand was rejected by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, who cited procedural rules and maintained that the matter was sub judice.
"This House has conducted a 21-day session with contributions from all members," the Speaker said before adjourning proceedings, adding that the motions moved by the opposition lacked merit under Assembly rules.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, passed by the Indian Parliament, redefines the structure and control of Muslim charitable endowments with critics arguing that the amendments strip local communities of authority over religious assets, centralizing control under the government and opposition parties across the country describing the law as “anti-Muslim” and “an attack on minority rights.”
In the Assembly, NC legislator Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi urged the Speaker to allow a 30-minute discussion using his discretionary powers.
“This is injustice to Muslims,” Gurezi said. “The BJP is using Hindu-Muslim politics to avoid accountability. They were in power for a decade — how many jobs did they provide?”
As NC and Aam Aadmi Party legislators pressed for a discussion, BJP members led by Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma also entered the Well demanding time to speak on unemployment. BJP MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia had earlier moved an adjournment motion on the job crisis, which the Speaker rejected, calling it an old issue.
Tensions peaked when AAP MLA Mehraj Malik attempted to raise the Waqf issue again after a three-hour adjournment, during which he clashed with BJP and PDP workers outside the House.
Amid continued uproar, the Speaker asked BJP member Sunil Bhardwaj to proceed with his question but was forced to adjourn the House again due to loud sloganeering.
As the session concluded without debate on the Waqf law or unemployment, opposition leaders accused the Speaker of shielding the BJP and silencing legitimate concerns.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, has been passed by both houses of India's Parliament. The Lok Sabha approved the bill with 288 votes in favor and 232 against, following a nearly 12-hour debate. Subsequently, the Rajya Sabha passed the bill with 128 votes in favor and 95 against after a 12-hour discussion. The bill now awaits President Droupadi Murmu's assent to become law.