Waqf Bill an ‘assault on Constitution’, says Sonia Gandhi

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Thursday called the Waqf Amendment Bill a blatant attack on the Constitution, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using it as part of a broader strategy to keep society in a state of constant division.

She alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is pushing the country towards a dangerous path where the Constitution will exist only in name, stating that their “intention is to demolish” it.

Gandhi criticized the way the bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, saying it was "bulldozed" through without proper discussion. The Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, which aims to reform the management and administration of Waqf properties—charitable assets donated for religious or social purposes under Islamic law—was passed in the early hours of Thursday after an intense and lengthy debate. While the opposition alliance ‘INDIA’ strongly opposed the bill, BJP and its allies defended it, rejecting claims that it was ‘anti-Muslim’ and arguing that it would improve transparency and efficiency in Waqf board operations.

At a Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting on Thursday, Gandhi urged party MPs to “expose the Modi government’s intention to turn India into a surveillance state.”

She also criticized the proposed ‘One Nation, One Election Bill,’ calling it “another subversion of the Constitution” and reaffirming the Congress party’s strong opposition to the legislation.