Rajya Sabha sits for marathon 17 hours to meet on the same day. ‘Rare occasion’, says chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar
In the rare 17-hour sitting, the Rajya Sabha debated and passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill amid a backdrop of political contention. The marathon sitting culminated in a vote that saw a narrow margin and highlighted the tensions between the ruling party and opposition regarding minority rights.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned at 4 am on Friday after a 'rare' 17-hour sitting. It will meet again later in the day at 11 am on April 4, the same day
Before adjourning the proceedings, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said it was a "rare occasion" that the House dispersed at 4.02 am to meet again at 11 am on the same day. Dhankhar is also Vice President of India.
The Upper House had assembled at 11 am on Thursday (April 3) and took up the scheduled Zero Hour and Question Hour. At 1 pm on Thursday, it took up the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The controversial bill was passed, after heated debate, at around 2.30 am on Friday.
The ruling NDA members defended the legislation as beneficial for minorities, while the opposition described it as "unconstitutional" during the debate.
All government bodies should be secular: Rijiju
Eventually, 128 members voted in favour of the bill, and 95 wereagainst it.
Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said in Rajya Sabha that the Bill was brought with a number of amendments based on suggestions given by various stakeholders. "The Waqf Board is a statutory body. All government bodies should be secular," the minister said, explaining the inclusion of non-Muslims on the board.
The proposed legislation now goes for approval by the President before it becomes a law replacing the Waqf Act of 1995 governing Waqf properties in India.
Resolution on Manipur President's Rule
The House then passed a statutory resolution moved by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on imposing President's Rule in Manipur.
A day before, the Lok Sabha sat for a marathon 15.41 hours to clear the controversial Waqf Bill and adopt a Statutory Resolution on the President's Rule in Manipur. This was one of the longest sittings of the lower house since the first session in 1952.
The Bill on Waqf seeking to amend the existing Waqf laws was passed with a 288-232 vote after a 12-hour-long debate. The voting process for the Bill lasted 1:49 hours. Manipur debate took about 41 minutes.
(With PTI inputs)
While the Waqf Bill took nearly 14 hours, the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill was passed in minutes in Lok Sabha. The debate and voting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which started a little after noon Wednesday, ended only at 1:56 AM on Thursday.
(With PTI inputs)
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