SDPI members booked in Mumbra for unauthorised protest against Waqf Bill

Several members of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) were booked for holding an unauthorised protest in Mumbra in Thane district of Maharashtra against the Waqf Bill, a police official said on Thursday reported the PTI.

The protest took place on Wednesday, he added.

“We have booked 20 persons but no one has been arrested as yet. They have been charged under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Maharashtra Police Act for disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant and other offences,” he said.

The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 with a 288-232 vote in the early hours of Thursday after over 12 hours of debate. It is being debated in the Rajya Sabha at present.

The Lok Sabha passed the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after over a 12-hour debate, which saw the ruling NDA strongly defending the legislation as beneficial for minorities, while the opposition describing it as “anti-Muslim”, reported the PTI.

The Waqf Bill was passed after all amendments moved by the opposition members were rejected by voice votes. It was passed after division of votes.

In his reply to the debate, Union Minorities Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said there is no place in the world safer than India for minorities and they are safe because the majority is entirely secular, as per the PTI.

He said even minuscule minority communities like the Parsis are safe in India and all minorities here live with pride.

“Some members have said that minorities are not safe in India. This statement is completely false. There is no place safer than India for minorities. I am also a minority and we all are living here without any fear and with pride,” he said after the debate on the Bill.

The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday called the Waqf (Amendment) Bill a weapon, aimed at marginalising Muslims and usurping their personal laws and property rights.

In a post on X, the Congress leader said, “This attack on the Constitution by the RSS, BJP and their allies is aimed at Muslims today but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future.”

(with PTI inputs)