Anurag Thakur names Congress leader in 2012 Karnataka Waqf Board case during Lok Sabha debate

BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Wednesday raised concerns in his speech during the Lok Sabha debate on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, specifically pointing to the alleged involvement of a Congress leader in the 2012 Karnataka Waqf Board land scam case.

"The Karnataka government collected Rs 4.50 crore, and you spent that money. You should have answered those. Did you take the money from the masjid or the Waqf board?" Thakur asked, naming a leader, which caused an uproar among opposition MPs.

He continued, "Karnataka assembly's report has names of several Congress politicians who were involved in the scam. Is this why you (Congress) are opposing transparency and accountability?"


At the Speaker’s direction, Thakur immediately withdrew the name he had mentioned.

Anurag Thakur calls the Waqf Bill “umeed”

During the debate, Thakur referred to the proposed changes to the Waqf law as "Umeed" (hope), an acronym for Unified Waqf Management Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development.


"This is not a bill, but an 'Umeed'. This 'Umeed' has empowerment, efficiency and development," Thakur stated, highlighting the growing support from various organisations for the amendment.

He also called for an overhaul of the Waqf Board, claiming it had become "a base of atrocity and corruption."

Support for the Waqf Bill

Thakur thanked several minority groups for supporting the bill. These included the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, Church of Bharat, Kerala Council of Churches, Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council, All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council, and Muslim Rashtriya Manch.

He noted that these bodies, representing both Catholic and Muslim communities, recognised the importance of the reform. Thakur emphasised that the Waqf law, which was established during the Congress regime, had led to "widespread corruption."

Inputs from TOI