Sonia Gandhi attacks Waqf Amendment Bill as ‘brazen assault on Constitution’

Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi strongly condemned the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, calling it a “brazen assault on the Constitution” and accusing the Modi government of pushing India toward becoming a “surveillance state.”

Speaking at the Congress general body meeting, she criticised the BJP for its “relentless pursuit of permanent polarisation” and claimed the bill was rushed through Parliament without due consideration of opposition concerns.

“The Waqf Amendment Bill was effectively bulldozed through the Lok Sabha without considering the opposition’s recommendations. This is yet another attempt by the BJP to drag the country into an abyss where our Constitution is reduced to mere words,” she said.

The Bill, which grants the government greater control over Waqf properties, was passed after a marathon 12-hour debate, with 288 MPs voting in favor and 232 opposing it. Congress and its allies have accused the BJP-led government of using legislation to deepen communal divides.

Attacking the BJP’s government, Sonia Gandhi accused the Modi government of systematically weakening democracy by attacking civil liberties, undermining federalism, and manipulating electoral processes. 

She urged Congress MPs to aggressively counter the BJP’s policies and expose what she described as its “falsehoods” in both governance and electoral conduct.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge attacked the Modi government. Echoing Sonia Gandhi, Kharge said that "We will discuss it as Parliament discusses". 

Congress MP and Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) member Imran Masood announced that the party would challenge the bill in court, echoing similar plans by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), a Congress ally. 

The opposition has alleged that the JPC ignored their concerns and rejected all 44 amendments they had proposed.

As political tensions escalate, the opposition appears determined to fight the BJP’s legislative agenda, both inside and outside Parliament.