'100 choohe kha kar billi Haj ko chali': BJP's Giriraj Singh slams Congress on Waqf Bill

NEW DELHI: Union minister and senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh launched a sharp attack on Congress on Thursday over the Waqf Amendment Bill, invoking a Hindi proverb to criticise the party's past actions.

"There is a saying, '100 choohe kha kar billi Haj ko chali.' Congress party's history has been dark, there is nothing bigger than Emergency. In 2013, ahead of elections, they gave away 123 properties in Lutyens' Delhi to Waqf, overnight. This shows who crosses the limits of appeasement, who writes a black chapter..." Singh said.

Earlier in the day also, Singh targeted Congress, asserting that the BJP-led central government had corrected what he called the mistakes of 2013.

"We have corrected the mistakes that Congress made in 2013 in the name of appeasement politics and have taken care of the poor and women... We hope that in future, the poor will get the rights to their land," he said.

The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 following an extended and heated debate, with INDIA bloc members opposing it while BJP and its allies backed the legislation.

The session continued past midnight before Speaker Om Birla announced the division vote results.

"Subject to correction, Ayes 288, Noes 232. The majority is in favour of the proposal," Birla declared.

The revised bill, incorporating recommendations from the Joint Parliamentary Committee, aims to amend the 1995 Act to improve Waqf property administration, enhance efficiency, streamline registration, and integrate technology into record-keeping.

Meanwhile, Union minister of minority affairs Kiren Rijiju moved a motion in the Rajya Sabha for consideration of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the Musalmaan Wakf (Repeal) Bill.