AAP issues whip to its Rajya Sabha MPs as Waqf Amendment Bill set to move to Rajya Sabha

The Aam Admi Party on Wednesday issued whip to its members in Rajya Sabha ahead of the discussion on Waqf Amendment Bill. The three line whip directs the Aam Aam Party MPs in Rajya Sabha to remain present in Parliament from 2nd April to 4th April, 2025. The whip read, "Some very important issues will be taken up in the Rajya Sabha from 2nd April, 2025 to 4th April, 2025. All members of the Aam Aadmi Party in the Rajya Sabha are requested to remain present in the House from 11 am onwards and during the remaining days of the budget session i.e. upto 4th April, 2025, without fail and support the party stand."Parties from both the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition INDIA bloc have issued whip to their members, directing them to vote in support of the bill or oppose it, respectively.The bill has already been tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday by Minister of Minorities Affairs Kiren Rijiju, amid uproar by the opposition. A vote on the bill is yet to take place.After introducing the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, Kiren Rijiju said the Waqf Board's role is only to oversee management, not to control Waqf properties."The Waqf Board's role is to oversee the management of Waqf properties by mutawallis and those handling Waqf affairs. This is solely a governance and supervision measure, and the Waqf Board does not manage Waqf properties in any way."Also read: 15 FAQs to explain all you need to know on Waqf Bill Despite opposition resistance, the NDA is well-positioned to pass the Bill, holding 293 MPs in the 542-member Lok Sabha. In Rajya Sabha, the NDA holds a total of 125 MPs representation, including BJP’s 98, JD(U)’s 4, Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)’s 3, and TDP’s 2.The BJP-led government argues that the bill will enhance the administration and management of Waqf properties. However, the opposition calls it a "targeted legislation" that violates constitutional principles, with key Muslim bodies also opposing it.