Chandigarh, Apr 4 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday hailed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill as an important step towards good governance that will help in the welfare of oppressed and backward Muslims.

Saini said the Bill which received the Parliament's nod on Friday was yet another evidence of 'Modi Ki Guarantee and the prime minister's commitment to the ideals of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'.

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"I congratulate all countrymen on the passing of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill in both the Houses," he said in a Hindi post on X.

Parliament early Friday approved the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after the Rajya Sabha gave its nod to the contentious legislation following an over 13-hour debate. The Lok Sabha passed the Bill a day before on Thursday.

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"These bills are an important step towards good governance under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji. It is another seal of approval on the policy of 'Modi Ki Guarantee' and 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'!" the chief minister said.

"Just as the prime minister worked to free Muslim sisters from 'triple talaq', in the same way, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) bill are huge initiatives for the welfare of all oppressed and backward Muslim brothers and sisters," he added.

Saini lauded Modi, Union ministers Amit Shah and Kiren Rijiju for "this historic, visionary, unprecedented decision".

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters here after inaugurating the BJP legislative party office, Saini slammed the Congress and said when it was in power, the Waqf Act was amended only to reap political dividends for the party.

Opposition parties have termed the Bill "anti-Muslim" and "unconstitutional", with a Congress MP challenging the validity of the Bill in the Supreme Court, saying it violated constitutional provisions.

"Congress people are experts in provoking. When CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) was brought, they did the same thing," said Saini.

The Congress, he said, ruled for 55 years "but did nothing except vote bank politics". They were only concerned with how to secure their vote bank, their concern was never about the country, he said.

Saini added that under the Modi government, the country was seeing rapid progress in all fields -- road, health infrastructure, farmers' welfare, even India's economy and its status at the global level.

Replying to a question on neighbouring Punjab, Saini said the people of the state will reject both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress in the next assembly election.

He said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann are "mausere bhai" (cousins)" as their parties are part of the opposition's "INDI alliance" and targeted the ruling AAP over the alleged lack of medicines in mohalla clinics.

Saini said the BJP will form the next government in Punjab.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)