Former Prime Minister and JD (S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda on Thursday in the Rajya Sabha supported the Waqf Amendment Bill and congratulated the Centre for bringing the legislation.

Speaking on the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha, he urged the House to clear the legislation.

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He said this bill has been amended and cleared by the Lok Sabha and now this House (Rajya Sabha) should pass this legislation.

“I must congratulate the PM (Prime Minister Narendra Modi). Why? The property, which has been mentioned, is about Rs 1.2 lakh crores. These properties have not been given by the Government but by donors…If the donors have given and it has been misused and there are vested interests, now the present PM (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) wants to put a seal, not to allow the donors’ property which is given to the community for a particular purpose, to be swallowed by rich people or the people who are strong enough in the community to swallow this property,” the former Prime Minister said.

The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The House sat beyond midnight to pass the Bill.

The government introduced the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation introduced in August last year.

The legislation seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India.

The Bill aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records.