Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather has criticized the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, calling it unconstitutional and an intrusion into religious matters.
Addressing the media in Srinagar, Rather as KNS Correspondent stated that the bill violates Article 25, which guarantees the Right to Religion. He cautioned that interference in religious and personal affairs could set a dangerous precedent.
“No one should meddle in religious or personal matters,” Rather asserted, warning that ignoring constitutional safeguards under the pretext of reform could have serious consequences.
His remarks come after the bill was passed in Parliament following a prolonged and heated debate. While the BJP-led NDA government defended it as a measure to enhance transparency in Waqf management, opposition parties condemned it as an assault on Muslim institutions.
The bill was introduced on Wednesday and cleared in the late hours between Wednesday and Thursday after hours of deliberation. (KNS)
